Relief to traffic congestion for Tooele County’s commuters looks to still be a long way off, but a number of road construction projects were completed in 2018, with more set for next year.
Many of those commuters likely noticed the work to replace the Interstate 80 interchange in Lake Point, which began this spring. In April, a single lane of the exit ramp was closed due to construction and crews moved earth to create the incline for the new bridge, adjacent to existing structure.
Several months later, the piled-up dirt is still in the settlement phase. Now expected to start up again in the spring, the project will create an additional southbound lane from state Route 36 from the off-ramps to Sunset Boulevard to ease backup on I-80.
A pair of railroad overpass bridges on I-80 near Black Rock were expected to disrupt traffic this year but UDOT won’t begin that project until next year. A previous construction design would have resulted in 23 days of single-lane traffic in both directions for each bridge but a temporary bridge will be constructed instead, to allow normal traffic volumes throughout the work.
In 2019, UDOT is expected to break ground on the $75 million Midvalley Highway, which is currently still in design. The new highway would extend from state Route 138 near Sheep Lane to I-80. Construction is expected to begin next fall and last two years.
UDOT anticipates the new highway will address anticipated traffic congestion on state Route 36 and the Lake Point interchange on I-80 through the year 2040. The Midvalley Highway will add increased north-south transportation capacity, as well as an alternate access road to I-80.
UDOT has a number of long-term future plans for Tooele County, which are partly or fully unfunded with no anticipated start dates.
The state developed a conceptual plan to build a third lane from the state Route 201 ramp to the SR-36 interchange on I-80. The additional lane would allow traffic from SR-201 to Exit 99 to stay in its lane and not merge with traffic on I-80 to reach the exit. The project is still seeking $3 million in funding.
UDOT is also developing a conceptual design for an additional eastbound lane from SR-36 to SR-201, but the $2 million is not yet funded.
UDOT has developed a conceptual plan for a more long-term project to extend SR-201 to SR-36, but the project is unfunded and would likely cost as much as $200 million.
Another long-term project proposed in 2018 was the Oquirrh Expressway, which would run from the east end of Bates Canyon Road to UDOT’s proposed SR-201 extension around the point of the Oquirrhs and into Lake Point.
Tooele County Commissioner Wade Bitner said the county needs to complete preliminary requirements such as acquiring the right-of-way for the highway in order to move up UDOT’s priority list. The Oquirrh Expressway is on UDOT’s 2050 long range plan but the project has no funding or construction date.