Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Highway 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon is a death trap! Each year, horrible accidents along the dangerous corridor claim lives - last year the number was 13.
Granted, some accidents could undoubtedly be prevented through safer driving and genuine observance of posted speed limits. Yet, the highway's current design - mostly two-lane - is woefully inadequate for the amount of commuter, recreational and commercial traffic that uses it.
Most everyone realizes Highway 6 needs to be redesigned and rebuilt.
It is why KSL encourages thorough consideration of a measure recently introduced on Capitol Hill by Representative Jim Ferrin of Orem. He proposes bonding for the estimated billion dollar cost of building a four-lane divided highway from Spanish Fork to Price.
Ferrin's argument for having the state go into debt to rebuild Highway 6 assumes credibility in view of how rapidly highway construction costs are escalating. As Ferrin points out, each year the project is delayed will add tens of millions of dollars to the cost.
And eventually, inevitably, Highway 6 will, indeed, be rebuilt!
KSL realizes the abhorrence of many lawmakers to the idea of bonding for highways. Yet, if it can be shown that borrowing to redo Highway 6 now would ultimately save money, and lives, lawmakers should develop the political will to go that direction.
