By Graham Dudley, KSL.com | Updated - Feb. 8, 2020 at 12:49 p.m. | Posted - Feb. 8, 2020 at 10:17 a.m.

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Big Cottonwood Canyon has opened Saturday afternoon after the Unified Police Department closed it for several hours due to "extreme congestion."

The Utah Department of Transportation announced the decision on its Cottonwood Canyons Twitter account just before 10 a.m. Saturday and said it had reopened the canyon about 12:45 p.m.

With the reopening, traffic is now flowing through both Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood canyons for the first time in days. Heavy snowfall and several natural avalanches closed Little Cottonwood Canyon on Friday before it reopened Saturday morning.

Related Story

Little Cottonwood Canyon expected to open Saturday, UDOT officials say Little Cottonwood Canyon will not be opening Friday after three naturally occurring avalanches hit the road, officials said.