The master plan is a five-lane roadway similar to 1860 South, which connects on the east side of I-15.
PROVO — The federal government has given the go-ahead for construction of a new thoroughfare that would give Utah County drivers improved access to the west side of I-15.
The Obama administration has put the proposed Provo Westside Connector on a fast-track for federal approval.
Construction of the new roadway from the I-15 University Avenue interchange to Provo Airport could start in about a year. The Provo Westside Connector is one of 14 projects nationwide that the government deemed would help boost the economy in targeted areas.
Provo area planners said the expedited federal review would give the three-mile project a jump-start.
"The master plan is a five-lane roadway similar to 1860 South, which connects on the east side of I-15," said Provo city engineer David Graves. However, Graves noted that the project could be built with just one lane in each direction and expanded in the future, as financing would allow.
Right now, a few options are under consideration, he said.
"Our (initial) projections are for around 6,000 cars a day … a travel lane in each direction would handle that," Graves explained. "If funding were not an issue, then we'd probably build out (five lanes)."
Current estimates for the project range from $34 million up to $56 million depending upon how many lanes are built out.
Graves said by highlighting the Westside Connector project and others like it, the administration was trying to get the federal agencies to streamline the environmental clearance process.
Provo, in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration and the Utah Department of Transportation, has proposed to improve roadway system linkage in southwest Provo by constructing a new arterial road between Provo Airport and the vicinity of the I-15 interchange with University Avenue and 1860 South. The project area would be located in southwest Provo south of Center Street and west of I-15 traveling three miles to the airport.
Airport officials said the road would make driving more convenient for residents living in Utah County. Engineers said the plan could also include a bike route and pedestrian trail alongside the main road.
Prior to now, environmentalists' concerns over what effect the construction would have on Provo area open land had prevented engineers from obtaining the proper permits. With the environmental impact statement on the fast track, permitting can occur in a more timely fashion, said Andrew Jackson, executive director of Orem-based Mountainland Association of Governments.
Graves says a final decision could come by year's end, with construction possibly beginning in late 2012 and completion by 2013.
"As the west side of Provo has continued to grow, it has been a matter of being able to provide multiple points of access as well as being able to keep (traffic) at (reasonable levels)," Graves said.
Visit provowestsideconnector.com for more information.
Email: jlee@desnews.com