It may be October, but construction season isn’t over

Oct 16, 2023, 6:00 PM | Updated: Oct 20, 2023, 4:36 pm

It’s mid-October, but don't think that means construction season is over. UDOT is working on and has a few projects planned. (Photo courtesy of UDOT)

(Photo courtesy of UDOT)

BY DON BRINKERHOFF

Reporter

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s mid-October, but don’t think that means construction season is over.

Utah Department of Transportation Spokesperson John Gleason said Utah is known for having two seasons, winter and construction season.

“We’ve actually extended our construction throughout the winter months,” Gleason said. “There are so many construction activities that we can complete during those colder time periods.”

According to Gleason, one thing construction crews have been working on is fixing potholes.

“Any time you have an extreme winter like we experienced … if there are any cracks in the pavement, that allows the water to seep through,” he said.

Once that water seeps into the pavement, according to Gleason, it accelerates the time in which potholes are created.

“So if you have more storms than average, the chance of creating these potholes, it grows,” he said.

UDOT crews were out repairing potholes almost daily Gleason said. They were doing maintenance projects such as filling potholes and sealing cracks in the pavement to prevent future potholes.

“The spring really didn’t let up with the storms,” Gleason said. “So, an extreme winter and an extreme spring really created some of these additional potholes that we’ve seen out there.”

Additionally, there are other projects crews are working on, particularly on I-215 and SR 201 in west Salt Lake County.

Construction season is about more than potholes

“Those areas have been hit particularly hard with potholes,” Gleason said. “Our crews have been out there … really throughout the winter months, throughout the spring and summer, and now into the fall trying to smooth out those surfaces.”

Beyond working on potholes, Gleason said UDOT has a few projects working on I-215 bridges as well as an even bigger project. The bigger project will address the long-term for the bridge on SR 201 at 3200 West. However, UDOT won’t get started on that major bridge overhaul until next year.

“Our crews have done a pretty good job of getting on top of them,” he said. “It’s something they put a lot of focus in and they take a lot of pride in making sure our roads are some of the best in the country … We’re always out there and we’re always working on them.”

Devin Oldroyd contributed to this story.