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Motorists in Utah County will hopefully get a little relief from congestion at a major I-15 interchange under construction as one piece of the puzzle for Timpanogos Highway will be put into place this weekend.
"At 6:00 a.m. Monday morning, commuters are going to see an entirely different conversion at the [Highland/Alpine] interchange," said Timpanogos Highway spokesperson heather Barnum.
In recent years, an explosion in traffic has overwhelmed the I-15 interchange at the Highland exit.
"Everyone would get piled up there in the mornings and the afternoons," said Blake Josephson about the traffic at the exit. "[There is] not much I can do about it, so I just keep driving through here. That's where I work, so I don't have a choice."
However, a new "diverging diamond interchange" should help the flow, and UDOT intends to make the switch in just one weekend.
Email: jboal.comIt's only the sixth diverging diamond interchange in the country, just like the one in American Fork, and it requires drivers to cross oncoming traffic as they enter the intersection.
"That allows for the free flow of movement," said Barnum "So, there's less stopping, less waiting and people will get to their destination much quicker."
This interchange conversion wasn't part of the original plan for the Timpanogos highway, but with surging traffic, planners knew that they had to change it somehow. With this innovative plan, they're able to do it at almost one-fifth the cost. It cost $7.5 million to convert, rather than $25 million to rebuild. The plan also allowed the interchange to be finished sooner.
UDOT said motorists will adapt to the new flow quickly.
"It is a little bit tricky at first, but once you get used to it, you'll see how much more free-flowing you're going, and how much more quickly you can get on and off the interchange," Barnum said.
Josephson said he's glad UDOT will remodel the interchange this weekend, even if the entire highway into Alpine won't be done until the end of the year. It will take six more weeks to get the interchange up to full capacity with all signs in place, but the conversion this weekend will help traffic flow.
Ramp closures will cause delays, so drivers should avoid the interchange this weekend if they can.
