SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature will consider settling a lawsuit over botched construction of a Utah County highway.
The proposed settlement is on the agenda for Utah lawmakers' special session that the governor scheduled for Wednesday. Gov. Gary Herbert's office released its agenda of the session on Friday.
Also on the schedule is a proposal to fund an effort to curb crime and homelessness in Salt Lake City's Rio Grande neighborhood. Another measure up for consideration Wednesday would allow the state to maintain a lease on a city street in order to police and improve the area.
The cost and terms of the highway agreement are a mystery.
No legislation detailing the settlement had been made public as of Friday. The governor's office, the Utah Department of Transportation and an attorney for the builders declined comment. A spokesman for House Speaker Greg Hughes did not return a message.
Utah Department of Transportation spokesman John Gleason said his department wasn't giving details because the court case will continue if lawmakers don't agree on a plan.
The potential settlement comes two years after the Utah Department of Transportation filed a civil lawsuit in Utah court against the contractors for $30 million. The state said shoddy construction led to leaks, cracks and the collapse of the portion of state Route 92 as builders missed deadlines and eventually abandoned the project.
Attorneys for Flatiron Harper Joint Venture have denied the allegations in court documents.
The project expanded the highway and installed Utah’s first commuter lanes on a six-mile stretch of S.R. 92 from Highland to I-15.
Construction began in May 2009 and was set to end in October 2011. But the roadway, which is heavily used by northern Utah County residents and is the main connector to American Fork Canyon, did not open to traffic until August 2012.
In August, Judge Jared Eldridge put a stay on the case, allowing attorneys to propose a settlement.