Kaysville officials agree to cite all West Davis Corridor trespassers
Jun 23, 2023, 6:30 PM
FILE: Workers construct a bridge over I-15 on the West Davis Corridor near Farmington on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. UDOT officials, citing multiple trespassing events. Officials in Kaysville say those who are caught trespassing on the construction site will now be issued citations. (©Scott G Winterton/Deseret News 2023)
(©Scott G Winterton/Deseret News 2023)
DAVIS COUNTY— Despite multiple reminders asking people to stay away from the West Davis Corridor construction, trespassing has not stopped. Now, Kaysville officials are taking the next step.
According to a Facebook post from the Kaysville Police Department, the city council approved a new ordinance which calls for anyone who trespasses on their end of the construction to be cited.
According to the ordinance, this will expire once the project is completed, which will likely be next year.
“I think the approach earlier was to give warnings, but it’s continuing to persist,” said UDOT Spokesperson Mitch Shaw. “I think that’s…how they have to handle it now.”
Shaw said they’ve seen trespassing up and down the 16 miles of future highway and trails since they began the groundwork in 2021.
“We’ve seen all kinds of different trespassing scenarios,” Shaw said. “We’ve seen people ride ATVs on the road…in the winter time people have their snowmobiles out there.”
UDOT’s West Davis Project Manager Rex Harris previously told KSL NewsRadio the trespassing problems have cost Utah taxpayers millions of dollars. Additionally, it makes it hard for them to meet an already tight deadline.
A reminder: Shaw said this is currently UDOT’s largest undertaking in the state at $750 million.
Above all, Shaw said, it’s not safe to trespass on this construction.
“There’s heavy construction equipment out there…there’s ditches…bridges that aren’t finished,” Shaw said.
The 16-mile highway in Western Davis county is still on track to be finished in the summer of 2024. But, Shaw said there’s a chance they could open the road to travelers sooner than that, while they complete the rest of the cosmetic work.
