PARLEYS CANYON — Interstate 80 in Parleys Canyon was closed for about a half-hour Monday morning as the Utah Highway Patrol and the Division of Wildlife Resource herded elk through the area.
Over the last few days, wildlife officials were tracking elk that had trapped themselves and bedded down in the median between the eastbound and westbound lanes.
“The median is a little sizable,” said Scott Root of the DWR. “There is scrub oak and grass, so they feel comfortable, like a sanctuary.”
But it’s far too dangerous for the animals to hang out in the median with traffic rushing by at 70 mph on both sides, officials said. Not only is it dangerous for the elk, but it’s also a safety hazard for drivers because hitting an elk on the road would be like hitting a horse or a cow, not a deer.
“We wanted to act in the best interest of everybody and get these elk across the road as safely as possible,” said John Gleason, spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation.
"Anytime we have moose or elk or whatever it may be in the median, we get nervous, so it was just time,” Root said.
At 11 a.m., the highway patrol stopped traffic to allow a state helicopter to swoop in, sound a siren and chase the elk off the median. The maneuver moved six of the eight elk off of the median, plus a moose.
"It was successful,” Root said. “We got all of them but two. Most of them actually went south. The traffic is moving again. So, life is good."
As for the elk still in the median, DWR plans to keep an eye on them and says the elk are not causing any problems right now.
While state troopers and wildlife officers have to deal with wildlife from time to time along the Wasatch Front, this incident is unusual.
“This year, with the amount of snow that we've had, it has been more of a challenge as wildlife are searching for food. We see things that we don't typically see,” Gleason said.
In October, UDOT installed fencing to reduce collisions with wildlife in the area. Officials say the deep snow is likely how the elk were able to cross onto the interstate over wildlife fencing.
UDOT is working on a long-term solution, which includes building a wildlife crossing and installing enough wildlife fencing to stretch 3 miles in both directions on I-80 from Jeremy Ranch to Parleys Summit. Those projects are scheduled to start after funding becomes available in the fall.
Contributing: Viviane Vo-Duc