Congestion on I-15 in Davis County is going to get worse before it gets better.
The Utah Department of Transportation is scheduled Tuesday to award the contract for an estimated $40 million project to add one lane in each direction on I-15 between the I-215 north interchange and Farmington.The work will begin early next month and take about a year to complete.
But in order to add lanes to the existing grassy median, crews will need to close the inside lanes of I-15 while they perform much of the work. That means the corridor will be reduced to two lanes in each direction at times.
During peak travel times -- primarily, morning and evening rush hours -- UDOT officials promise they will keep the I-15 North corridor open to three lanes in each direction, as it is now.
But UDOT spokeswoman Andrea Packer said it is possible I-15 North will be reduced to two lanes in each direction on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. And similar restrictions, reducing the freeway to two lanes or perhaps even one lane in each direction, are possible in the evening hours or overnight.
"It will be a fairly aggressive (work) schedule. We're just really moving ahead to get some relief for Davis County motorists," Packer said Monday. "At this point we hope to always keep two lanes open . . . but we don't want to say it will never be (restricted to) one lane in case there is a need for that."
Some full-freeway closures may also be required but probably only when traffic is light, such as 11 p.m.-2 a.m., she said.
The daytime lane restrictions may be more prevalent next spring and summer when most of the paving work will take place, she said.
"If we get someone (a contractor) who is real anxious and temperatures are good August through September, we might see a lot of actual paving work on that north end where they're just moving (the new lane) to the southside shoulder," thus requiring some daytime restrictions, Packer said.
Traffic volumes along the 10-mile corridor increased by 10 percent in 1998. The project is aimed at bringing immediate congestion relief. I-15 North is scheduled for full widening and reconstruction beginning in 2008.
The project will consist of three segments:
From the I-215 interchange to 2600 South in Woods Cross, existing pavement will be restriped to allow four lanes of travel in each direction. The section was widened and reconstructed two years ago, but some drainage improvements and sign relocations are necessary.
Between 2600 South and Lagoon Drive in Farmington, a concrete barrier will separate freeway traffic as crews add two new lanes in the median.
From Lagoon Drive to the U.S. 89 interchange, the southbound merge lane will be extended to serve as the new travel lane. On the northbound side, a new lane will be created on the existing shoulder.
Advanced Traffic Management technology will be built into the project, including lighted variable-message signs, ramp meters on every on-ramp and the installation of closed-circuit video cameras for quick detection of road hazards and accidents.