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Jed Boal ReportingGet ready for the return of the orange cone zone. Road construction season is upon us, but there is good news at the end of the long road of repair and reconstruction.
We'll all run into delays out on the interstates and highways, but there's a big improvement ahead for anyone who drives southward during heavy traffic. UDOT wants to break the rush-hour bottleneck at the south end of the valley and needs to knock off other big jobs.
Nile Easton, UDOT: “This summer especially, people will see a lot of orange barrels."
The big news? Crews will widen I-15 starting at 10600 South, adding another lane all the way to Bangerter and an HOV lane all the way to Alpine in both directions.
Nile Easton, UDOT: “People will be able to, coming from Provo, jump on that HOV lane and drive it all the way downtown if they want to."
There is one closure tonight and tomorrow night. 12300 South will close under I-15 for work on the new bridge.
You can also expect weekend-long closures on I-15 through the next six months. Crews must repair the joints on all bridges reconstructed three years ago. Those repairs start in two weeks.
Nile Easton, UDOT: “We're going to try to do most of it at night time and weekends. If you are traveling at night time and weekends, you'll certainly have some delays."
I-215 widening will be done in the fall, but may snarl traffic more in the coming weeks.
For those of you who drive Highway 6 from Spanish Fork to Green River, UDOT plans eight projects that will add passing lanes, widen, and add a new interchange in Helper.
Over the last eight years the state has spent more than $120-million to improve safety on the road. Subsequently, the number of crashes has dropped.
For immediate information on road closures, dial 5-1-1 or look for the U-Dot link on our website.
