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LEHI -- Businesses and commuters in Lehi are gearing up for what could be a difficult road closure this week.
Beginning early Monday morning, crews with the Utah Transit Authority will shut down Main Street between 300 West and the 500 West roundabout for one week to work a new FrontRunner line to Provo. Fortunately, the new Pioneer Crossing will help alleviate some of the traffic trouble, but it's still a big detour.
UTA is hoping a week of inconvenience will pay off in the long run. The FrontRunner line will go in alongside the Union Pacific tracks.
We're excited in the long run to have FrontRunner coming down and the increased traffic, but we're staying open and we'll just get through it.
–Zach Batty
"We actually have to restructure the whole intersection there," says UTA spokesman Gerry Carpenter. "The project will be adding a new set of tracks through the intersection for the FrontRunner trains."
Preliminary work is already underway to get ready for the Main Street project. Workers will be on the job, 24 hours a day to get the project finished as quickly as possible.
"Obviously it's going to affect our business. We're on the west side so it's going to affect us," says Zach Batty with Picasso Motors Dealership, just one of the many shops anxious about the week-long closure.
"We're excited in the long run to have FrontRunner coming down and the increased traffic, but we're staying open and we'll just get through it," Batty says.
While Pioneer Crossing will be the main detour for east-west traffic, there will be detours for local residents on 500 North as well as 500 West. When the work is finished, there will be some perks for drivers.
First, the crossing will be upgraded for a smoother ride and new crossing arms. In addition, people who live nearby won't hear the train horns anymore.
"We've been upgrading all of the crossings to be safer. Safer crossings mean that the trains don't have to sound their horns for safety reasons," says Carpenter.
The FrontRunner line isn't expected to be completed for another four years.
The Main Street closure begins Monday at 5 a.m. Crews expect to be finished by Oct. 4 at the latest.
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E-mail: ngonzales@ksl.com
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