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UTAH COUNTY -- The Utah Department of Transportation took the next step in the I-15 reconstruction project about to get underway in Utah County.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
Health and Justice Building
151 S. University Avenue
Suite 1600
ProvoSpanish Fork-Payson Area
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
High Chaparral Room
Spanish Fork Fairgrounds
475 S. Main StreetLehi-Lindon Area
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
American Fork City Hall
31 North Church Street
UDOT is talking to businesses about what they can do to survive the construction and help minimize the impact.
While work trips are the single largest component of "peak hour" traffic, most traffic in the afternoon peak and over half of the traffic in the morning peak is not related to travel to and from work. -TravelWise
Nearly everyone in Utah will be affected by this project -- especially those who live in Utah County -- from businesses to commuters to people driving from the Salt Lake Valley to Central and Southern Utah.
UDOT sees businesses as an ally to alleviate the gridlock when work begins in the next few days.
In a campaign known as TravelWise, the first in a series of community meetings specifically for business leaders got underway in Provo Tuesday. The meetings help to inform businesses of what they may be up against, especially those close to the construction zone.
But the meetings are also to involve businesses to let them know employees may be late, deliveries could be delayed and even customers may be discouraged from getting onto the freeway.
UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson said, "I-15 is a main corridor through Utah County and will be under construction, we know it is going to have a significant impact to everybody traveling through. We want to minimize that as much as possible."
Business leaders believe in the long run the new-and-improved I-15 will boost the local economy, but during construction it will be difficult.
- Compressed and flexible workweeks: decreases employee commute times and helps relieve congestion
- Public transit: allows productive time during the commute and takes cars off the road
- Ridesharing and vanpooling: reduces the number of cars on the road and in construction zones
- Teleworking: increases employee productivity and eliminates the need to travel through construction zones
- Active transportation (biking and walking): relieves traffic congestion and improves employee morale
Steve Densley, president of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, said, "Meetings like this one this morning are very critical for us. We needed to have these people here so that they spread that work and let others know this is coming very soon and what they can do to mitigate some of the stress that is going to happen."
UDOT is hoping businesses will consider allowing employees to telecommute, adjust work hours to avoid rush hour and encourage employees to carpool or ride UTA -- all ways to minimize traffic during the work by being flexible with employees.
The I-15 Core project involves rebuilding 24 miles of I-15 from Lehi to Spanish Fork. The project is scheduled to take two-and-a-half years and should be finished in December of 2012.
Future meetings for businesses are scheduled for Spanish Fork and American Fork next week.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
