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LEHI — A city leader hopes an upcoming infrastructure project will improve conditions near a bridge on the city’s west side.
Assistant City Administrator Cameron Boyle said a $12 million to 13 million project likely will widen the Main Street bridge over the Jordan River to five lanes — two in each direction and a turn lane in the middle.
“They’ll look at the state of that bridge as a part of this and determine … if part of that bridge will be used or if they’ll tear out that bridge and build a completely new bridge,” he said.
The project is currently in the design phase, which will be completed in the fall, Boyle said. It’s funded through a grant from the Mountainland Association of Governments, and the city will be collaborating with Saratoga Springs on the project, he said.
A 2015 Federal Highway Administration study said the structure of the bridge, built in 1947, was “somewhat better” than the minimum requirements for being left in place as is. However, the study highly recommended replacement of the road surface, or deck, of the bridge.
A Utah Department of Transportation study, completed in September 2017, found that the bridge wasn’t in need of any urgent repairs.
The bridge structure was found to be in good condition during that study, according to UDOT spokesman John Gleason. UDOT inspects bridges at least once every two years, he said.
Boyle said the city relies on the bridge and road studies conducted by UDOT. Since the agency said the bridge is in good condition, city officials haven’t been concerned about the safety of the bridge, he said.
The road will be widened mostly to accommodate increased traffic coming through Lehi, Boyle said. More people are driving from east to west through the city to get to Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain.
He also said it hasn't yet been determined if the improvements will include bike lanes. The design plans haven’t yet been finalized.
For several years, traffic has been getting more congested in Lehi, especially around Thanksgiving Point, due to the increasing growth rate of the area. Gov. Gary Herbert signed a $1 billion bond in 2017 that will allow UDOT to expand roadways and alleviate congestion along I-15 throughout the Wasatch Front, KSL.com reported last year.
Along with the bridge, several other infrastructure improvement projects are in the works as Lehi continues to deal with growth, Boyle said. Main Street will also be widened on the east side of town, and there are several other improvements planned for State Street, he said.
A change will be coming to 1200 West from I-15 to state Route 92. It will be widened to five lanes and will include bike lanes. That project will start in the fall, he said.
The projects aim to make travel more efficient for the city’s residents, but also to make the roads more safe for bicyclists and pedestrians, Boyle said.
“We’ll do what we can as a city to make sure that our residents are safe, and we just encourage smart use of those roads so we can all make sure that we’re doing our part to be safe,” he said.
