Utah County has so many roadway construction needs that it's difficult to pick the ones that will be done first, according to Alan Mecham, District 3 director of the state Department of Transportation.
Chief among them is the I-15 corridor from Lehi to Spanish Fork. And while one of the most congested interchanges is at 1300 South in Orem, Mecham said the entire corridor contributes to the roadway's congestion and fixing just that interchange won't solve the problems. Contributing to the congestion are shopping centers and access to Utah Valley State College and Brigham Young University.Mecham was one of several presenters at the valley's first Utah County Growth Summit held at UVSC. Organized by several state legislators as a preliminary to the governor's Growth Summit, the county summit may become an annual event.
Wednesday night's opening session included simultaneous sessions on water rights, public education, transportation and open space. Keynote speaker in the opening session was Brigham Young University Professor Stephen R. Covey.
Hal Clyde, a member of the state Department of Transportation Com-mission, called the I-15 problem benign neglect. "We need to start the process," he said.
That process involves doing a major investment study, which includes environmental studies, looking at alternative solutions, redesigning the entire corridor, then rebuilding it, often piece by piece. Because the process takes years, Mecham said communities are forced to accept temporary "band-aid" solutions.
He said the same process needs to be done for U.S. 6, between I-15 and Price. That project would take the entire budget for national highways in Utah for the next two years, he said, so officials are looking for alternatives to fund it.
Mecham said a consultant looked at making it a toll road as a way to fund construction but dismissed that idea because the highway lacks sufficient traffic.
Meanwhile, UDOT will continue work on the Provo Canyon Highway, U.S. 189.
"Provo Canyon will take the lion's share of funding this year," he said. "We think it's the right thing to do right now. It's high priority to a lot of people."
He said that when work started on the canyon highway 25 years ago the estimated price tag from Provo to Heber City was $25 million. The roadway is to the Wasatch County line now, and costs have risen. He said it will cost $30 million to build the next two miles.
Millions were spent on environmental studies and litigation during the process, he said.
Mecham added that the Orem State Street project had to be suspended because of greater highway needs elsewhere in the state, specifically Redwood Road in Salt Lake County.
He said Micron created highway problems in Lehi, but the company will provide funding to solve them. He said the state is going to require more from people who create traffic problems.