SALT LAKE CITY — Temperatures are again on the rise in the Beehive State, but also on the rise are the number of summer travelers on Utah's roadways.

Thousands more are expected to leave home for recreational opportunities through the local Pioneer Day holiday weekend. Transportation officials are asking people to be on the lookout for areas under construction and to drive accordingly.

"We make every effort to ensure the safety of drivers during and after construction," said Utah Department of Transportation Region Two Director Jason Davis. He said I-80 will be a focal point for traffic this weekend, as it leads to a variety of popular outdoor destinations.

"We want people to get to where they want safely and have a lot of fun when they get there," he said.

There are at least 10 different projects under way on I-80, from Tooele to the Wyoming state line, with a combined investment of $40 million. Altogether, it's being called "Renovate I-80," and incorporates resurfacing and replacing old, worn areas, updating bridges and enhancing safety along the route by adding barricades and wildlife crossing points.

From Lamb's Canyon to Parleys Summit, crews are adding a climbing lane for trucks, to improve traffic flow at the steepest part of the canyon.

"If you've ever driven this route, you'll notice there is a lot of slow-moving truck traffic," said UDOT field engineer Justin Kable. "We're adding a fourth lane that is going to improve traffic flow, allowing higher traffic volumes, to accommodate for that slow-moving traffic."

On any given day, approximately 45,000 cars travel I-80. While numbers aren't available for holiday weekend travel, increases are expected, especially at times through Friday and Monday.

"And that's on top of the truck traffic that we see every day," Davis said, adding that travelers are encouraged to leave early and stay longer, with incentives in the Stay an Extra Day program. Trucks generally keep to the right lanes but often start a slowing trend and cause a lot of "backing," Davis said, for other travelers through the I-80 corridor.

I-80, he said, is one of the most traveled highways in the state, but also one of the deadliest. Most of the ongoing and new construction projects aim to prevent cars from crossing into oncoming traffic, keep wildlife from wandering onto the road, and improve traffic flow, "to get people safely to where they're going," Davis said.

"We're asking people to be aware of their surroundings, reduce their speed, just follow the signs and try not to be overly aggressive through those construction zones and be safe for themselves and the workers," he said.

For the most part, construction in the area is completed at night, to avoid as much traffic congestion as possible. And while crews will be taking the weekend off, orange construction barrels, flags and signs will remain standing along the route, warning drivers of conditions.

In addition to the ongoing work on the lane addition, cable barriers are being installed along I-80 at seven different locations from Summit County to Wyoming; new bridges at Summit Park, Echo Junction and Atkinson, to replace ones built over 40 years ago; and multiple wildlife crossings, including one under the roadway at Summit Park.

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Resurfacing projects are expected to be completed within three weeks, while larger projects, specifically the lane addition, will be done in October.

"We're putting a lot of focus into making sure these (new) bridges last longer," Kable said, adding that contractors are encouraged to finish projects in a timely manner, even ahead of schedule in some cases. Technological advances, including Accelerated Bridge Construction are being used to maintain the highest efficiencies.

For more information about all Renovate I-80 projects, visit www.udot.utah.gov/renovatei80.

E-mail: wleonard@desnews.com, Twitter: wendyleonards

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