Alpine Loop reopens in time for Memorial Day weekend
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- Bikers enjoy a reopened Alpine Loop on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
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- Crews work to reopen the Alpine Loop during Spring 2025.
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- Crews work to reopen the Alpine Loop during Spring 2025.
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- Crews work to reopen the Alpine Loop during Spring 2025.
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- Crews work to reopen the Alpine Loop during Spring 2025.
The gates are lifted and the Alpine Loop is open just in time for the unofficial start of summer.
The Utah Department of Transportation opened the road Thursday afternoon, inviting recreationists and sightseers to return to the winding mountain road northeast of Mountain Timpanogos this Memorial Day weekend.
“As soon as we opened it, there were people going up there, going up and down, taking pictures,” UDOT Region 3 spokesperson Wyatt Wooley said. “I assume they go on hikes and whatever they’re going to do, it’s a very scenic drive, and it’s gorgeous.”
The Alpine Loop, or state Route 92, closes each winter between Pine Hollow Trailhead to the north and Aspen Grove to the south. The road reopened earlier than normal this year, but not before UDOT completed a lengthy annual process.
Snow plow crews waited until late March to begin clearing snow.
“If you try and clear the snow too early, then another snow storm comes in and you have to clear that again,” Wooley said.
From there, road maintenance began. In a statement shared with the Daily Herald, UDOT Station Supervisor Brian Allen said crews cleaned cut ditches, trimmed and cleared fallen trees, and mowed back vegetation.
They also filled in deep dropoffs and widened shoulders, and installed or extended several culverts to improve drainage and further widen shoulders.
“(This) helps prevent vehicles from accidentally diving into drainage ditches along the 18 to 20-foot wide sections of the road where the old culvert inlets and outlets are quite close to the asphalt edge,” Allen said.
The road section is also given a final sweep before the gates open.
“I know it’s an anticipated opening, and we know people are excited to go up there and explore our mountains and go out there, and our guys work really hard to make it clean and safe for everyone to use,” Wooley said. “So a big shout out to our crews that went up there and cleaned it up.”
Memorial weekend traffic?
UDOT recognizes when major holidays are and tries not to have construction crews impact roadways during those times, Wooley said.
However, traffic may be unavoidable in some places. Wooley said to anticipate backups on U.S. Route 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon when travelers return to Utah Valley Monday evening.
“I’ve been stuck in it myself, and things slow down, but you have to just kind of expect that on holiday weekends with that many people trying to go on our routes, but we try our best to keep things open,” he said.
Utah’s “deadliest days of summer” also begin this weekend, UDOT warns, and the state department is urging drivers to drive safe. Wooley said most accidents occur when people don’t follow speed limits or are distracted.
