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LEHI — The Utah Department of Transportation set beams this week for a new ramp at the interchange between I-15 and 2100 North in Lehi, the latest project in its long-term plan to build out Utah County infrastructure in anticipation of continued growth.
The ramp will connect 2100 North to southbound I-15 and is designed to accommodate a future connection between I-15 and the Mountain View Corridor, according to a UDOT news release. The ramp is slated for completion by the end of the year.
Boyd Humphreys is the I-15 Technology Corridor project manager for UDOT. "A flyover ramp, the ramp goes up and over the cross-streets instead of coming in at the same level as an intersection would," Humphreys explained. "So it's similar to an overpass."
The department released a video last week showing how the new flyover ramp will work to ease traffic in the area.
"UDOT is working closely with surrounding cities to plan ahead and manage the area’s rapid growth by upgrading the transportation network," the news release says. "Planning this far in advance and constructing this ramp now will move traffic better today and save time and money in the future."
UDOT Region 3 planning manager Eric Rasband estimated the department will save about $6 million by completing this project now.
Rasband said northern Utah County is growing rapidly around Lehi, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain. "Utah County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the Wasatch Front," Rasband said. "This is an opportunity to tie an existing project" — the 2100 North corridor — "into a future project as we're planning for long-term growth that's going to be experienced in this area in the future."
The Mountain View Corridor is being completed in phases and will eventually run 35 miles from I-80 in Salt Lake County to state Route 73 in Utah County. It is currently open in Utah County between 2100 North and SR 73.
"The eventual Mountain View Corridor connection to I-15 at 2100 is in the Regional Transportation Plan for Utah County to be constructed by 2040, but is not yet funded," the release says.
Humphreys said COVID-19 is not slowing the project. "Our project is still continuing to work," he said. "We're still working out here, we're still building, trying to get this project complete on time. Obviously, due to COVID-19 we've had to put some guidelines in place, some restrictions, and follow the CDC guidelines" to keep crews safe.
The ramp is part of UDOT's I-15 Technology Corridor project, which is also set to be finished by the end of the year. The project was designed to improve I-15 between Payson and Point of the Mountain.
