Traffic safety improvements are in the works for the area of Main Street and Skyline Drive in Tooele.
A proposed project by the city in partnership with the Utah Department of Transportation would see the construction of a raised median along Tooele’s Main Street from Skyline Drive to just south of 520 South. The plan also includes a new traffic signal at the Skyline Drive and Main Street intersection, to be placed just north of the raised median.
Tooele city officials said the proposed plan aims to improve safety and access management at the intersection, according to a page about the project on UDOT’s website.
Traffic data from an environmental study determined that adjustments to the intersection are warranted as it currently only has a single stop sign, according to UDOT.
“It was an area that was not signalized; they wanted to make (it) a little bit more safe,” said Dillon Richens, project manager with UDOT.
If constructed, the raised median would restrict left turns on and off Main Street at 520 South, according to the plan.
Construction would call for crosswalks on the north and east portion of the intersection.
A traffic signal would allow more time for pedestrians and people on bicycles to cross the road. “This is becoming more important due to increased pedestrian use at this intersection because of the new treatment center just north of Skyline Drive,” UDOT’s proposed plan reads.
Tooele city officials and UDOT also believe that a raised median will significantly reduce the number of crashes at the intersection.
The rate of crashes at Tooele’s Main Street and Skyline Drive intersection is above the state average, specifically those at night, among older drivers and rear-end collisions, according to UDOT.
Transportation and city officials believe the proposed plan would provide adequate lighting for vehicles and pedestrians at the intersection, especially at night.
About 10:15 p.m. on Christmas in 2024, a 32-year-old woman from Roosevelt was hit and killed by a pickup truck while crossing at the intersection, police said.
Investigators said the woman was not in a crosswalk at the time of the crash.
“Our goal is to increase safety in the area as quickly as possible,” a statement in the proposed project plan document reads.
Richens said the department began the design phase of the project last year and are currently gathering feedback from residents.
A public meeting on the matter was held Thursday night at Tooele City Hall, but public comments are still being accepted through March 20.
“Once this whole process is finalized and we have all the comments addressed and everything, assuming everything goes well, I think we’re hoping to have construction (started) maybe early summer time frame,” he said.
Construction he said should last a few weeks; ultimately UDOT hopes to have the new system in place by the end of the year.
For Tooele residents looking to learn more about the project or to submit public comment, UDOT encourages them to visit the project’s website.