The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has made a final decision to convert U.S. 89 into a full freeway in Davis and Weber counties to connect Interstates 15 and 84.
UDOT approved and released late Tuesday a final state environmental study, making its decision for the new freeway final. UDOT says detailed design and property acquisitions for the project now will proceed. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed by 2021. It is estimated to cost $275 million.
UDOT plans to widen U.S. 89 from four to six lanes and convert it into a freeway between Shepard Lane in Farmington and I-84 in South Weber. U.S. 89 is essentially already a freeway between Shepard Lane and I-15. All traffic-signal intersections will be converted into either freeway interchanges or grade-separated crossings.
Existing highway access from some driveways and parking lots will be eliminated, but access in some locations will be preserved via new frontage roads.
UDOT has said that without the project, congestion would increase by 20% to 35% on the corridor by 2040, creating peak travel times of one hour from Shepard Lane to I-84. With planned improvements, that same trip in 2040 is projected to take nine to 10 minutes.
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Source: Salt Lake Tribune
