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COPPERTON — A once rural Salt Lake County road is getting a few updates to bolster safety in the wake of recent growth.
The Utah Department of Transportation, in conjunction with Salt Lake County, is implementing school zones along two stretches of state Route 111 to reduce vehicle speeds in areas that have experienced increased pedestrian traffic in recent years.
UDOT has installed flashing lights and signage requiring traffic to slow to 20 mph near schools located around 8200 South and 8400 West, as well as near 3500 South and 8400 West.
UDOT spokesperson Tania Mashburn said community members who were concerned about safety in the formerly rural areas requested the improvements.
With extensive growth along the western corridor of the valley, there had been a call to implement enhanced safety measures particularly in locations where schools were nearby.
–Tania Mashburn, UDOT
"The speed limit ranges from 35 to 55 miles per hour," she said. With extensive growth along the western corridor of the valley, there had been a call to implement enhanced safety measures particularly in locations where schools were nearby," she added.
Mashburn said a pedestrian bridge is also planned for the area along 8200 South, with construction scheduled to begin next spring. That location — which is near an elementary school — also received a new traffic signal last year, she said.
State Route 111 is a highway that runs north–south across the west side of the Salt Lake Valley in Salt Lake County. Also known as 8400 West and Bacchus Highway, the road connects SR-201 in Magna to SR-48 in West Jordan over a distance of 10.6 miles.
Mashburn said safety is a concern for on state Route 111 just like it is on any road where there has been a lot of growth.
"We are in the process of making safety improvements where we can, and we will continue to look for ways to improve safety in the future," she said.
Email:jlee@ksl.com
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