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BOUNTIFUL — Davis County commuters, prepare to rejoice. Your freeway construction nightmare is coming to an end.
The Utah Department of Transportation is nearing completion of its $126 million, 16-month South Davis Improvements reconstruction project, begun in April 2014.
Now in place are new express lanes between I-215 and Farmington; replacement bridges over I-15 at 2600 South, 1500 South, 500 South and 400 North; reconfigured interchanges at 2600 South and 500 South; and improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists at 500 South, 400 North and Parrish Lane in Centerville.
The 2600 South and 500 South interchanges were redesigned to improve east-west mobility by creating a modified continuous flow intersection at 2600 South and a diverging diamond interchange at 500 South.
The project, which added 26 miles of new express lanes, extended the longest continuous high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the nation. Currently, the express lanes between North Salt Lake and Farmington are only open to carpoolers and motorcycles — not toll-paying motorists — until the payment system is commissioned this fall.
"We've completed all of our major milestones," said UDOT spokesman Vic Saunders. "We've really done some things that commuters will say, "This is a lot better.""
The South Davis freeway corridor accommodates between 155,000 and 165,000 motorists per day, he said. While the majority of work is done, crews must still calibrate the signs above the HOV lanes to operate the tolling system, landscaping and install other needed highway signage, he noted.
"All those things will be done over the next couple of months to 'button this project up,'" Saunders said.
