Construction of the tunnels section of U.S. 189 in Provo Canyon is scheduled to begin this March, now that the Utah Transportation Commission has funded a shortfall in the project's estimated cost.
The commission last week transferred $3.6 million from a Midway-to-Heber City project to reach San Francisco-based Obayashi Corp.'s $34 million bid on the canyon project. The contractor's bid was the lowest of seven.Larry Buss, Utah Department of Transportation Region 3 engineer, said UDOT is finalizing contract details and probably will award it to Obayashi by the end of the week.
Plans call for a 2.7-mile stretch of U.S. 189 to be widened to four lanes from Upper Falls to Wildwood. Construction will include twin tunnels just below the Sundance turnoff. The 370-foot-long down-canyon tunnel and 340-foot up-canyon tunnel make for one of the most unique transportation undertakings in Utah history.
"We want it to be a showpiece project," Buss said.
Some 750,000 tons of dirt and rock cut from the mountainside will be compacted at the base of Deer Creek Dam for a future phase of canyon road reconstruction.