Picking up the can: Cottonwood Heights draws a new Five-Year Road Plan

The end of fiscal year 2023 will conclude the Cottonwood Heights Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan. The plan was originally enacted in 2018 to stabilize and slow deterioration of road conditions throughout the city. Continuing the sentiment of prioritizing road conditions throughout the city, the new Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan stretching through 2028 has been considered within recent city council meetings.

For roads that need routine maintenance, the Cottonwood Heights Public Works Department most commonly utilize crack sealing, slurry sealing and chip seals. Since 2018, 12,130,574 square feet of slurry seal has been poured throughout the city (about 60% of all roads within the city). Some 2,093,000 square feet of chip seal was utilized for road maintenance as well (approximately 10% of all city roads).

“It did provide a lot of benefit to the city roads,” said Senior Staff Engineer Adam Ginsberg.

When a city road is in disrepair, the Public Works Department turns to mill, overlays or complete reconstruction. In the last five years, there were two main road reconstruction projects within Cottonwood Heights for a total of 902,650 square feet (4.5% of all city roads) of mill, overlay and reconstruction work. These two areas included the reconstruction of Scottish Drive and Alta Hills Drive, along with Racquet Club Drive and the Winesap Road area.

There were 2,017,500 square feet of road improvements completed in addition to what was laid out within the five-year plan. These major projects included road maintenance to Fort Union Boulevard, 2700 East, and 2300 East. These projects were funded by various grants the city received from Salt Lake County, Utah State Transportation Funds and others.

The Public Works Department will finish up work on the last few projects outlined in the initial Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan this spring, including 1300 East.

Eighty-five percent of city roads were maintained (with the last few projects scheduled to be completed before June) under the direction of the previous Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan.

Fifteen percent of the city’s roads were not included in the initial five-year plan as regular maintenance was not appropriate for the road conditions at the time. That last 15% will now be accounted for within the first year (2023-24) of the new Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan with two main areas of the city requiring complete reconstruction of asphalt.

The new Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan will focus on the maintenance of city roads and taking care of the city’s main con-

By Cassie Goff | c.goff@mycityjournals.com

nector roads in addition to providing more focus on neighborhood roads and curbs and gutters. Citywide maintenance will also continue on.

Prospector Drive is scheduled to be reconstructed with a 4-inch mill and overlay, curb and gutter, waterway with ADA, ADA ramps, and drive approaches. In addition, the area surrounding Towne Drive, north of Bengal Boulevard, will need a full roadway reconstruction. Bengal Boulevard will also be due for a chip seal before 2024 as well.

For 2023-24, there are no concrete replacement, schedule sidewalk replacements, waterway changes, or ADA ramps scheduled. The total budget for road reconstruction and maintenance projects will be $2,793,700.

In 2024-25, Pine View Drive will be the main road reconstruction project as the area will need a 4-inch mill and overlay with soft spot repair, curb and gutter and waterway reconstruction, and ADA ramps. Maintenance projects will include laying a chip and crack seal along Fort Union Boulevard from Union Park Avenue to 3000 East. A 2.5-inch mill and overlay with fabric will be constructed on Highland Drive from Bengal Boulevard to Fort Union Boulevard totaling $2,765,600.

Years three to five (2025/20262027/2028) will focus on three main reconstruction projects including Steffensen Drive area, Bridgewater and Brighton Way. These reconstructions projects will be a significant investment for the city with a lot of asphalt for 224,000 square feet of road reconstruction.

Maintenance projects will include: a slurry seal for 3500 East, a crack and chip seal for 2300 East and 2700 East and a mill and overlay for lower Siesta Drive and Fort Union Boulevard. The total for which will be $8,747,254 averaging approximately $2.8 million per year.

Cottonwood Heights will continue to improve roads per ADA standards which each upcoming project as well. The Public Works Department is required to meet those requirements when doing road reconstruction projects as many of the roads within Cottonwood Heights were originally built in the 1980s and 1990s.

“It is possible to have active transportation money to help with some of these things,” Ginsberg said.

The new Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan takes into account the inflation index for construction costs set by the Utah Department of Transportation. Current numbers are estimates as numbers can be drilled down closer to the construction start dates. Cottonwood Heights will continue to put in applications for various grants through Salt Lake County and state active transportation funding. l

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