UDOT receives nearly $1.4 billion for Utah County freeway-related projects
May 20, 2024, 8:57 AM | Updated: 1:52 pm
UDOT receives funding for projects in northwest Utah County. (Utah Department of Transportation)
(Utah Department of Transportation)
UTAH COUNTY, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation has announced major plans to expand travel options for drivers in Lehi, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.
In a news release, UDOT said The Utah Transportation Commission approved nearly $1.4 billion for four freeway-related projects in northwestern Utah County.
“Over the next 25 years Utah County is projected to grow faster than Salt Lake, Davis and Weber Counties combined,” UDOT Public Relations Director John Gleason told KSL NewsRadio. “That’s just incredible growth and we want to make sure that we’re doing everything to address it.”
Gleason cited data compiled by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.
According to the release, the new funding represents a “$2.1 billion investment into this area through the end of the decade.”
“This significant investment represents our commitment to building a transportation system that meets the needs of all Utahns,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras stated in the release. “As we continue to grow as a state, we will work to find transportation solutions to help everyone get to where they want in the way they want.”
Utah County projects
A growing population means growing transportation needs of the region. The cities of Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Eagle Mountain have been hit the most with growth.
Project 1: Pioneer Crossing flex lanes
Starting either 2025 or 2026, UDOT plans to re-stripe all of Pioneer Crossing from I-15 to Mountain View Corridor to add one new lane in each direction.
The striping will also create flex lanes, which can be switched around to take traffic from different directions, depending on the time of day.
For example, hypothetically, if a road has two lanes in each direction and people are heading west to get home, a flex lane could become a third lane for people to use to go west, hence easing congestion. That same lane could accommodate traffic from eastbound lanes during morning commutes.
This is similar to what’s currently used on 5400 South in Salt Lake County.
UDOT said the restriping of Pioneer Crossing would allow for up to two additional lanes in one direction during a busy commute.
The project will cost $77 million.
Project 2: 2100 North freeway
UDOT wants to convert 2100 North from I-15 to Mountain View Corridor into a full-fledged freeway.
“If we can make that East-West travel a little bit easier and safer for people, I think that’s going to do a lot for the people that live and work in that area,” Gleason said.
The project cost is $554 million and $275 million of that is new funding.
UDOT expects construction to begin in 2026.
Project 3: Mountain View Corridor expansion
UDOT plans to spend $553 million of the new funds to expand the freeway portion of Mountain View Corridor from 2100 North to SR-73.
The department is currently working to connect Mountain View Corridor from Porter Rockwell Boulevard in Herriman to just south of Camp Williams in Saratoga Springs.
In the coming years, when both projects are completed, drivers will be able to take Mountain View from 2100 South in Salt Lake County all the way to SR-73 in Utah County.
Construction on the expansion to SR-73 is set to begin as early as 2027.
Project 4: SR-73 freeway
UDOT plans to use another $459 million to turn Cory B. Wride Memorial Highway, or SR-73, into a freeway from Mountain View Corridor to Ranches Parkway in Eagle Mountain.
“This is an area that we see a lot of congestion,” Gleason said. “We’re going to ease that congestion, accommodate transit… and just try to provide people who live out there with different options for their travel.”
UDOT expects construction to begin as early as 2027.
Amie Schaeffer contributed to the reporting of this story.
