Utah Gov. Herbert helps kick off three-year, $430M I-15 expansion
The so-called I-15 Technology Corridor project will add two lanes on both the northbound and southbound sides from Lehi's Main Street to state Route 92, for a total of six lanes in both directions on completion. Interchange renovations are also in the mix, as well as 13 bridge rebuilds and the construction of a new bridge that will span I-15 connecting the east and west legs of Triumph Boulevard.
Gov. Gary Herbert, left, and Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton, unveil a digital rendering of the Utah Department of Transportation’s I-15 Technology Corridor construction project at the Rain office in Lehi on Wednesday, April 25, 2018.
That growth, an issue also being grappled with by the Point of the Mountain Development Commission, is expected to propel Utah County past Salt Lake County in terms of population in the next 50 years and continue to test the resilience of not just the I-15 freeway, but travel corridors on both sides, and across the state's busiest interstate.
For those who may feel like I-15 construction through south Salt Lake County and Utah County has been perpetual, Utah Department of Transportation Executive Director Carlos Braceras said this project marks an end point. At least for now...
...In spite of the dearth of current, active public transit projects, Herbert said the future will include additional state funding for public transportation infrastructure expansions.
"I think what we need to do is invest strategically in all our transportation systems, that would include mass transit," Herbert said. "We’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars and we’ll spend additional hundreds of millions of dollars continuing on mass transit. We’re not going to stop, it will be a matter of both."
Herbert also added that changes enacted by the Legislature in this year's session to how UTA is managed included tweaks that likely will create new funding opportunities for transit projects.
"(Now) we can take our typical transportation fund and expand it beyond just roads, highways and byways into, in fact, mass transit," Herbert said. "That’s the first time we’ve been able to take money from one bucket and put it into another bucket.
"With this new governance structure, I think you're going to see very strategic investments and continuing to make sure we have optimal benefit for transportation."
UTA board member Alex Cragun said public transportation expansion will be critical in accommodating the expected growth along the Wasatch Front while also helping to address air quality issues and preserving a place that people will be drawn to.
"Investing in roads is important but, in terms of our long-term growth, we can’t build more roads out of this problem," Cragun said. "The end goal to reduce our pollution is remove cars from the roads. And that will require further investment in public transportation."
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Cragun, who is also the executive director of the Utah Democratic Party and former director of transit advocacy group, Utah Transit Riders Union, said the increasing population density in the area lays good groundwork for efficient transit expansion, like new TRAX lines.
"As long as there is a demand for service in those areas, we should be talking about light rail," Cragun said. "We need to be making sure that we’re not only planning and building rail in a smart manner, but aligning that around housing and economic opportunities that sustain people."
New lanes for I-15 'Technology Corridor' tops UDOT project list for 2018
SALT LAKE CITY — The stretch of I-15 now being called the state's "Technology Corridor" ranks No. 1 on the Utah Department of Transportation's Top 10 list of construction projects for 2018...
...The I-15 project is key to developing Utah's Silicon Slopes technology corridor that includes 700 acres at Point of the Mountain that will be freed up after the Utah State Prison moves to a site near the Salt Lake City International Airport in 2020.
The other nine projects on the list released Monday are, in order of their rankings:
• Adding a new southbound lane on I-15 from 2100 South to 12300 South, redesigning some of the southbound ramps at the 1-15 and I-215 interchange and widening 7200 South to three lanes from I-15 to Bingham Junction Boulevard in Midvale. Work on the $180 million project is also scheduled to begin this spring and expected to be completed in late 2019.
• Reconstructing I-215 in Davis County from the I-15 interchange in North Salt Lake to 2100 North and building a new diverging diamond interchange at Redwood Road and I-215. The $40 million project has been underway since February and will continue through the end of the year.
• Replacing three bridges on I-80 in Tooele County near the state Route 36 interchange: eastbound and westbound I-80 over the railroad tracks and the S.R. 36 ramp bridge. The $30 million in bridge work will begin in late spring and should be done in the summer of 2019.
• Widening Bluff Street in St. George from 100 South to Sunset Boulevard by adding a lane in each direction and turn lanes at several intersections. The yearlong, $51 million project started in January.
• Adding a new westbound lane for trucks on I-80 from Jeremy Ranch to Parleys Summit, and a new wildlife crossing at the summit, repaving I-80 from Lambs Canyon to Kimball Junction. Work on the $30 million project started Monday and is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
• Extending Mountain View Corridor in Utah County from the Redwood Road and 2100 North intersection to state Route 73. The $41 million project is set to start this spring and should be done next year.
• Converting four intersections on Bangerter Highway into freeway-style interchanges, at 5400 South, 7000 South, 9000 South and 11400 South. The $201 million project is underway and due to be completed by the end of the year.
• Reconstructing state Route 9, the gateway to Zion National Park, through Springdale. The old pavement is already being removed and replaced with new asphalt, and pedestrian and bike improvements are being made. The $19 million project should be done before the peak visitor season begins later this month.
• Finishing the widening and reconstruction of state Route 108 in Syracuse from Antelope Drive to 300 North in Davis County. The $52 million project started a year ago and should be completed this fall.
There are a total of 188 UDOT construction projects scheduled across the state this year, adding up to $1.46 billion. They range from sidewalk and street installations to the major projects on the list.
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