Nightly work on Pioneer Crossing ‘flex lanes’ to begin Monday

LEHI — Nightly construction will begin Monday to expand Pioneer Crossing and add a flex lane system, the Utah Department of Transportation announced.

The Pioneer Crossing expansion is part of several major projects planned for northwestern Utah County aimed at reducing congestion. The Pioneer Crossing improvements will help drivers regain approximately six minutes of travel time during rush hour and save more than 900 hours of congestion a day, UDOT said.

The flex lane system along Pioneer Crossing will stretch from I-15 to Redwood Road in Saratoga Springs, allowing for up to four lanes of eastbound travel in the morning and up to four lanes of westbound travel in the evening. Outside of commuting hours, the road will have three lanes each direction plus a shared turning lane in the middle.

“Flex lanes are a smart way to get more out of the road we already have,” said Andrew Jordan, UDOT’s project director. “Being able to adjust the number of lanes available in one direction to match the real-time demand will make a big difference. That means less congestion and more reliable commutes for drivers in Utah County.”

Construction will begin on Monday, Sept. 8. Evening lane closures, shoulder closures and lane shifts should be expected during the first phase of construction. All lanes on Pioneer Crossing will remain open during the day, UDOT said.

If no changes were made, peak travel times along Pioneer Crossing would continue to increase by more than five minutes in the next decade, UDOT said. The corridor was built to carry about 35,000 vehicles but currently averages more than 55,000 each day.

“Once Pioneer Crossing is upgraded into flex lanes, it will accommodate an additional 50% increase in traffic, bringing much-needed efficiency. The new flex lanes will give UDOT the ability to adjust traffic flow based on demand, creating more capacity during the heaviest commute times without widening the road,” a statement from UDOT said.

The improvements will give travelers “more breathing room on this vital Utah County route,” and will help reduce delays on side streets that connect to Pioneer Crossing, UDOT said.

Construction is anticipated to last through late 2026. After this project is complete, UDOT will finish transforming 2100 North into an east-west freeway that connects I-15 to Mountain View Corridor, which is also being converted into a freeway that will connect out to Eagle Mountain.

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