UDOT extends length of green lights along Lehi commuter roads

LEHI — The Utah Department of Transportation has extended the length of green lights on major commuter roads in Lehi in an attempt to ease traffic.

The department decided to implement longer green lights on 2100 North, Pioneer Crossing and Redwood Road — roads that are all at or above their current capacity — during the evening commute. Soon, the signal adjustments will also be put in place during the morning commute on March 12.

This change is one of multiple improvements UDOT is planning to execute to mitigate increased traffic that has come from rapid growth in Lehi, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, which have had more than 60,000 new residents move in over the last three years.

"Traffic signal timing adjustments are a technological tool UDOT uses as an interim step while long-term mobility improvements are planned for the area," UDOT said.

UDOT said the westbound and eastbound commutes were improved along 2100 North, Pioneer Crossing saw improvement on westbound traffic, and northbound traffic was relieved on Redwood Road.

"Overall, the p.m. rush hour signal timing adjustments reduced the total travel times by over 700 hours per day," UDOT said.

Traffic engineers are going to be monitoring traffic in real-time when making signal adjustments, and the department plans to monitor the adjustments after implementation. The signal retiming can cause a series of trade-offs because longer green time on main routes can result in longer wait times for side streets.

"Where possible, drivers should adjust their commute routes to incorporate these major routes as an alternative to their typical commutes," UDOT said.

UDOT said the signal timing adjustments are "a work in progress" and not a "cure-all" for rush hour traffic, "but we expect it will have a meaningful positive impact."

Longer term solutions the department is preparing for include constructing a freeway portion of Mountain View Corridor from 2100 North to Porter Rockwell Boulevard with a bridge at 2100 North and Redwood Road to provide an alternative north-south route.

During 2024, Lehi is planning to widen 2300 West to five lanes from 2150 North to Lehi Main Street. In 2026, UDOT plans to convert 2100 North into a freeway by adding freeway lanes in the middle of the existing 2100 North frontage roads.

UDOT is also studying potential western extensions for state Route 92 from Ashton Boulevard to Redwood Road across the Jordan River, extending Mountain View Corridor from state Route 73 to Redwood Road at the south end of Saratoga Springs, and further improvements along Pioneer Crossing.

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