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- Construction begins next week on Salt Lake City's 100 South road near the University of Utah.
- The project includes pavement replacement, sidewalk improvements and accessibility enhancements.
- Eastbound lanes remain open; alternate routes recommended for westbound traffic during construction.
SALT LAKE CITY — Construction will begin soon on a project to repair a busy road near the University of Utah, and that means drivers who regularly use it should be prepared for impacts over the next few months.
Salt Lake City's 100 South project is slated to begin on Monday. Road crews will replace the aging pavement between University Street and North Campus Drive and make a few other changes. Those include connecting the street's north sidewalk to existing pedestrian crossings, improving accessibility at the Wolcott Street and Butler Avenue crossings and widening the south sidewalk to turn it more into a multiuse path on the northwest end of campus.
On-street parking in the area will also be removed, although university officials will look for new "alternative parking" for the residents who previously parked there, per the city.
"It's important that we ensure safe, reliable access to our world-class medical institutions on the University of Utah campus — University Hospital, Primary Children's Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Institute," said Mayor Erin Mendenhall, in a statement. "Improving 100 South will help save lives, support families in crisis and ensure every resident, healthcare worker and visitor can reach these critical facilities safely and easily."
The road will be limited to a pair of eastbound lanes up the hill, and there will be no westbound traffic down the hill during construction. The same goes for any of the side streets in the area, according to the city.
Access to 1455 East, North Campus Drive, Federal Way and Central Campus Drive will remain open, but city officials urge drivers to use alternate routes as much as possible unless they are "seeking medical care" at the nearby hospitals that 100 South leads to as it turns into North Campus Drive.
Mario Capecchi Drive and Wasatch Drive are recommended as alternates for westbound traffic for those using medical facilities. Residents in the area can use Federal Way to reach North Campus Drive, while other local streets can help them reach alternate routes like South Temple, University Street, or Virginia Street, which can take them west.
The project follows previous work on 100 South, from 900 East to University Street, which wrapped up in 2021. Construction was intentionally delayed until May, when the university's classes should be wrapped up for the semester. It's expected to wrap up by mid-August, before classes resume for the fall semester on Aug. 18.
University officials appreciate the "thoughtful planning" that went into the project timing and health care access, Chris Nelson, chief university relations officer, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"These efforts will allow our dedicated healthcare staff as well as our campus employees, students and visitors to continue accessing campus as they need to during the construction," he said.
