I-215 ramp likely closed all weekend after burst pipe sprays water and mud across the highway

A section of Interstate 215 near Wasatch Boulevard turned into a muddy pool Friday after a pipe burst and geysered water onto the road.

At 11:10 a.m., water sloughed off a “significant amount of mud” down the hillside at 2900 South, said UDOT spokesman John Gleason.

“Water was shooting out with considerable pressure,” he said.

Salt Lake City Public Utilities shut off the water, and a UDOT plow worked Friday afternoon to push the water and debris off the road.

Gleason hadn’t heard any reports of car crashes caused by the water and mud before traffic was stopped for crews to clear the lanes. Traffic going north on I-215 at one point had backed up about a mile, he said.

He said the northbound I-215 ramp to eastbound Interstate 80 likely will remain closed through the weekend.

In addition to clearing the mud and debris, officials are concerned with stabilizing the hill, Gleason said. The water pressure “basically cut a crater into the side of that hill,” and maintenance crews were working to backfill the eroded area with new dirt.

Ideally, the road would reopen before the Monday morning commute, Gleason said, but “once we make the decision to open the road, we want to feel safe about it. ... We won‘t take any chances with safety.”

The break won’t affect anyone’s water, confirmed Salt Lake City communications and engagement manager Holly Mullen.