SOUTH WEBER, Davis County — Work has started on the new $25 million interchange and park-and-ride lots on U.S. 89, one-half mile south of the I-84 junction, near the mouth of Weber Canyon.
Shoulder widening is the initial thrust of the project for the first few weeks.
Contract for the interchange requires that two lanes of traffic on U.S. 89 be maintained in each direction at all times.
This project, described as a modified diamond interchange, will realign South Weber's two main roads — Cornia Drive and South Weber Drive — together and create two frontage roads that will eliminate six current access to U.S. 89 on the west and four separate accesses on the east side.
It will also eliminate the current traffic signal on U.S. 89 at South Weber Drive and create two park-and-ride lots. One of those lots will be a paved 300-space facility for permanent use by commuters and UTA buses. However, the other lot will be a temporary gravel lot for use during the 2002 Olympics and big enough to park 5,700 vehicles that otherwise would jam the roads to Snowbasin Ski Area.
Brent DeYoung, Utah Department of Transportation manager for the project, said after the Olympics, that temporary lot will be returned to local gravel pit companies.
He stressed that this project doesn't create any change in the current onramps or offramps to I-84 — they will remain the same. This project is south of that interchange and will include one overpass connecting South Weber and Cornia drives.
DeYoung said three businesses and three homes have been relocated for the project. UDOT has owned two of the homes for a long time and was recently able to purchase the third. Zito's Fireside Restaurant, Triple-S Polaris and Fred's Marine had to move.
South Weber City Manager Ron Chandler said he still hopes at least one of the businesses will be able to remain in South Weber. However, two are moving out, though he decline to name which ones they were.
He said the city's new budget has made provisions for the loss in sales tax revenues from the three businesses.
Some good news down the road is that the project will create a new area for future city commercial space along South Weber Drive.
E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com