Major road construction projects announced for Utah

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Warmer days are here and with them come those infamous orange construction cones on Utah’s roads.

Drivers are being warned of a handful of projects that will affect them through most of the year, according to the Utah Department of Transportation.

Throughout the state in 2021, UDOT says it will be working on 185 projects with a value of $3.45 billion over the life of the projects, many of which will span multiple years.

Planned improvements range from repaving rural highways to building freeway-style interchanges and widening, repaving, demolishing, and building bridges. UDOT outlines traffic delays that will range from overnight lane restrictions to full road closures with major detours.

Among the planned projects is the reconstruction of sections of I-80 and I-215 in eastern Salt Lake County.

Below is a list of some of UDOT’s most impactful projects for 2021:

Salt Lake, Summit and Tooele counties:

• Bangerter Three Interchanges – Salt Lake County, $221 million: UDOT is building new freeway-style interchanges on Bangerter Highway at 6200 South, 10400 South and 12600 South. This is a continuation of UDOT’s multi-year effort to upgrade Bangerter Highway in order to meet the traffic demands of western Salt Lake County. Construction began in May 2020 and most of the project is expected to be completed by December.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect the east/west closure of 12600 South at Bangerter Highway to remain in place until August, with reduced speeds along the detour routes. 6200 South remains closed to east/west travel across Bangerter Highway for cyclists and pedestrians through July. Drivers should also plan for an east/west closure of 10400 South at Bangerter Highway from May to November.

• I-80 & I-215 Renewed; Salt Lake East – Salt Lake County, $146.5 million: UDOT is repaving I-80 between 1300 East and 2300 East, and the I-215 east belt between 3300 South and 4500 South. A new lane will also be added to eastbound I-80 between 1300 East and 2300 East, and the 1300 East, 1700 East and 2000 East bridges along I-80 will be demolished and reconstructed. Construction for the project will begin as early as this May and will continue through 2022.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect lane restrictions on I-80 and I-215 overnight and on weekends, as well as at least two overnight closures of I-80 during bridge work.

• S.R. 248; S.R. 224 to U.S. 40 – Summit County, $3.1 million: UDOT will extend the life of the pavement and provide a smoother driving surface along S.R. 248 by repaving the highway from S.R. 224 to the U.S. 40 interchange. This project is also upgrading a series of pedestrian ramps and restriping the corridor to add a westbound shoulder-running bus lane for about 2 miles from U.S. 40 to Comstock Drive. Construction is expected to start in June and continue through fall.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect daytime lane closures and possible flagging throughout construction.

Davis, Weber, Morgan, Cache, Rich, and Box Elder counties

• I-15 Davis-Weber Express Lanes – Davis and Weber Counties, $163 million: UDOT is widening I-15 to extend the Express Lanes from Layton Parkway to Riverdale Road. The project is also building new, widened bridges at Church Street and 200 South and repaving and widening bridges at five additional locations. Additionally, crews are extending the on-ramp from Layton Parkway to Hill Field Road, installing new ramp meters at high-traffic on-ramps and replacing concrete panels between Hill Field Road and I-84. Construction began in summer 2018 and will continue through fall.

Expected impacts: The project will maintain three lanes of traffic on I-15 during daytime hours, Monday through Saturday, but drivers should expect overnight and weekend lane closures as well as lane splits, shoulder work and other changing traffic conditions.

• S.R. 53; 24^th Street Viaduct Rehab – Weber County, $7.2 million: Crews will extend the life of the 24^th Street viaduct by repaving from A Ave. to Lincoln Ave over the Union Pacific railroad yard into downtown Ogden. This project will also enhance pedestrian access by converting stairs to an ADA-compliant ramp and improve drainage on the viaduct. Construction began earlier this month and is scheduled to be complete in early September.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect the viaduct to be reduced to a single eastbound one-way lane with pedestrian and bicycle access restricted. They should also plan for seven overnight closures of the viaduct, as well as one weekend closure.

Utah, Juab, Wasatch, Duchesne, Uintah, and Daggett counties

• U.S. 40; Starvation Reservoir Bridge Preservation – Duchesne County, $4.2 million: UDOT will extend the life of the road and provide a smoother driving surface along the Starvation Bridge on U.S. 40 in Duchesne County. Crews will repave the concrete surface of the bridge and the bridge barriers and will apply a polymer seal to help the bridge surface resist wear. Construction began earlier this month and will continue through late October.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect one-way traffic and heavy delays throughout the project.

• I-15; Northbound I-15 Bridge Ride Fix in American Fork – Utah County, $4.1 million: Workers will repair three bridges along northbound I-15 between the 500 East and Main Street interchanges in American Fork to even out the bumps. Construction will begin this summer.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect lane restrictions and moderate travel delays.

• 2100 North Lehi (S.R. 194; I-15 to S.R. 68) – Utah County, $3.4 million: UDOT will repave 2100 North (S.R. 194) in Lehi from Redwood Road (S.R. 68) to Thanksgiving Way to extend the life of the road and provide a smoother ride for drivers. Construction is expected to begin this month and end by June.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect lane restrictions in alternating directions.

• S.R. 92 Alpine Loop (American Fork Canyon Seasonal Gate to U.S. 189 in Provo Canyon) – Utah County, $1 million: Crews will resurface the Alpine Loop (S.R. 92) from the Pine Hollow Trailhead to U.S. 189 in Provo Canyon to extend the life of the road. Construction is scheduled to begin in early May and expected to be complete in July.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect one-way traffic with flagging during work hours along S.R. 92 from Mount Timpanogos Campground to U.S. 189 in Provo Canyon throughout construction. Additionally, the road from Pine Hollow Trailhead to Timpooneke Campground will be closed from early May to late May, and the road from Timpooneke Campground to the Mount Timpanogos Campground will be closed from early May to late July.

Central and southern Utah

• U.S. 191; 400 North to Colorado River bridge – Grand County, $31.1 million Workers are widening U.S. 191 in north Moab to four travel lanes, along with a center turn lane for most of the project length. Additionally, a new storm drain system is being installed to help manage seasonal run-off that occasionally pushes debris onto the highway. Construction began last year and is expected to be complete this June.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect U.S. 191 to be reduced to one lane in each direction for the duration of the project.

• I-15 over East Nichols Canyon Rd – Iron County, $10.5 million: UDOT will replace two I-15 bridges in Cedar City to keep the interstate in good condition and maintain this key statewide transportation corridor. Construction is expected to start later this year and is expected to end in 2022.

Expected impacts: Drivers can expect I-15 lanes to be temporarily shifted to the median during the project.

UDOT reminds drivers that construction schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change. For the latest information on traffic restrictions during construction, visit the UDOT Traffic website (udottraffic.utah.gov) or download the UDOT Traffic app for iPhone or Android. Drivers can also follow UDOT on social media including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.