Sept. 2022 | Vol. 08 Iss. 09
FREE
CHANGES COMING TO BANGERTER HIGHWAY IN WEST VALLEY CITY WHEN FUNDING ALLOWS By Darrell Kirby | d.kirby@mycityjournals.com
D
on’t expect to see orange barrels and heavy equipment any time soon, but the planning process is underway to convert Bangerter Highway through West Valley City into a freeway-style expressway. The Utah Department of Transportation has been conducting public hearings and seeking other feedback recently as part of a state environmental study to determine the best way to change Bangerter Highway from its present structure of intersections controlled by traffic signals to a continuous-flow freeway with interchanges from 4100 South in West Valley City to California Avenue in Salt Lake City. West Valley City intersections that would be impacted would be 4100 South, 3500 South, 3100 South, Parkway Boulevard, 2400 South and State Route 201. The purpose is to reduce congestion and improve safety along the route on Salt Lake County’s fast-growing west side. “We have seen a reduction in accidents along the highway where intersections have been replaced by interchanges,” said Alex Fisher-Willis, UDOT project manager. The cost of and design of the project won’t be fully determined until at least mid 2023 when the environmental study is com-
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pleted, a document that will address community impacts like noise, air quality, historic buildings, and wetlands, Fisher-Willis explained. Crews won’t break ground on the project for at least another six years. “We’re
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3500 South is one of six current intersections along Bangerter Highway in West Valley City that are slated to be converted to freeway-style interchanges—but not until 2028 at the earliest as funding is allocated. The changes are intended to reduce congestion and accidents by allowing traffic to move uninterrupted by Continued page 10 signals and cross traffic. (Darrell Kirby/City Journals)
actually not funded until 2028. Even then, the funds that we do have available at that time are pretty limited,” Fisher-Willis said. “Once we’ve finished the environmental
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