Utah 8 April 17, 2017

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UTAH STATE EDITION

A Supplement to:

®

April 16 2017 Vol. XXVIII • No. 8

“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Utah Connection – Dennis Hogeboom – 1-877-7CEGLTD – dennishogeboom@cegltd.com

Interchange Job to Free Up Traffic South of Salt Lake City By Chuck Harvey

Utah Department of Transportation photo

CEG CORRESPONDENT

A new grade-separated interchange on Bangerter Highway in Utah’s south Salt Lake Valley will tie into local roads on the north and south sides of the highway while improving traffic flow. The $48 million Bangerter, 600 West Interchange Project kicked off last May and will continue through summer of 2017. The entire project is within the city of Draper. Bangerter Highway runs east and west in the area and connects with heavily used Interstate 15. The highway was last upgraded in 1998. The project, overseen by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), will allow free east-west movements and improve safety and regional mobility. Workers will install the new grade-separated interchange at Bangerter Highway and 600 West. When finished, Bangerter Highway will cross over 600 West. The project includes an additional westbound travel lane on Bangerter Highway between I-15

Heavy equipment at the construction site includes cranes, graders, bulldozers, pull-behind scrapers, track hoes and concrete and asphalt paving machines.

and the new 600 West interchange; a dedicated right-turn lane on westbound Bangerter Highway between I-15 and 200 West; an acceleration lane from 200 West onto westbound Bangerter Highway to 600 West; and two new five-lane arterial roads connecting the new 600 West interchange back to 200 West. When finished, Bangerter Highway will have three general

purpose lanes in each direction plus auxiliary lanes. As part of the project, crews will construct two bridges on mainline Bangerter Highway, one box culvert on 600 West (south of Bangerter Highway) and one box culvert on the new 13800 South connector. The project also eliminates traffic signals from the intersection at 200 West, and only right turns at

the 200 West and Bangerter Highway intersection will be allowed. Grade separation also eliminates the need for traffic signals on Bangerter Highway at 600 West. Traffic signals will be used at the bottom of the ramps of the new interchange. Grade separations provide for smoother, safer travel in and through the south valley area.

UDOT installed a similar interchange at Bangerter at Redwood Road resulting in reduced travel times, better local mobility and greatly improved safety. Safety Is Key Component “For years the 200 West intersection has caused congestion and backing onto I-15,” said Agustin Avalos spokesman of Utah Department of Transportation, Region 2. “UDOT is installing a new grade-separated interchange at 600 West that will address this issue. The new interchange will move heavy traffic movements a half mile away from the 200 West intersection. The 600 West interchange is one in a series of projects UDOT is investing in aimed at reducing travel times, connecting communities and improving overall safety on Bangerter.” The project is being financed through state-allocated funding. Wadsworth Brothers Construction of Draper, Utah, is project design builder. About 20 subcontractors are working on the project. Major subcontractors include Whitaker Construction of Brigham, Utah; see BANGERTER page 8

New Law Lets State Commission Issue $1B More in Bonds Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law a measure to let the state issue up to $1 billion in highway general obligation bonds to accelerate funding for a number of projects that the Utah Transportation Commission has already approved. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Utah Department of Transportation officials have said that projects likely to receive the largest influx of funding will be on Interstate 15 along the Wasatch Front, in areas that see significant congestion.

The story said regional officials have urged the commission to spend some of the money in their areas. For instance, those from southern Utah highlighted a provision in the legislation that calls for $100 million to be spent on projects that could help boost recreation and tourism in the state. It also said the bond money would come in over four years and have a 15-year payback period. The bonding measure, which takes effect July 1, said the state DOT should give priority to “projects with a regional

significance or that support economic development within the state.” It mostly left the assignment of funds to the commission and UDOT, but specified that $19 million of the bond proceeds be put into a Transportation Infrastructure Loan Fund for certain designated uses. (This story also can be found on Construction Equipment Guide’s website at www.constructionequipmentguide.com.)


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