UDOT breaks ground on Riverdale Road project

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Jed Boal and Tom Callan reporting The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) got started today on one of its priority road projects. Crews will overhaul one of the busiest roads in Utah.

Each day 47,000 vehicles travel Riverdale Road in Weber County. It's a commuter route and commercial thoroughfare, and badly needs work. The state thinks a $56 million rebuild is a good start.

Traffic, at peak times, clogs Riverdale Road. Neighborhoods and businesses are booming, and potholes beat up cars.

"We look forward to a major project, which will bring major help to this area--not only for businesses, but for those of us who travel this road each and every day," said State Rep. Brad Lee.

UDOT breaks ground on Riverdale Road project

Crews will add one lane in each direction from the I-84 interchange to the Weber River viaduct--a one-mile segment. They will also revamp the I-84 interchange and coordinate the traffic signals.

Of the 47,000 cars a day, 37,000 are commuters. The mayor of Riverdale says the city considered this job a priority for more than a decade. "This is a major milestone for the entire northern Davis and southern Weber county areas," Mayor Bruce Burrows said.

The new surface that crews put down will also be a lot more durable. They'll replace the old asphalt with a 40-year concrete surface.

"I think the biggest challenge right now is the traffic on this roadway. We need to keep this road open, and we will keep it open to do that," said UDOT project manager Randy Jefferies.

They cannot close driveways or intersections and can only close lanes at night. So, they'll do most of the heavy work at night and keep two lanes open in each direction during the day.

UDOT plans to finish most of the work by Thanksgiving, and the tougher surface should cut down on regular repairs. "We're hoping to open as many lanes as we can for the Thanksgiving holiday shopping season," Jefferies said. "We want to get in, get out, and stay out."

Next year, project leaders hope to get the necessary funding to extend the reconstruction to the east and west to truly finish the project.

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