Project Activities*

New storm drain looking north at 1800 North

Project Activities*

• Saturday, April 13, crews will begin removing striping between 1630 North and 300 North in preparation for shifting traffic to the west on Monday night, April 15. Motorists are advised to slow down and pay attention to shifting traffic patterns.
• This weekend crews will be installing temporary signals at 800 North and 1300 North and will have them operational by Tuesday, April 16.
• Beginning Monday night, April 15, crews will begin utility installation along 1800 North nightly from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. This work will take place through June. During this work, motorists can expect shifting traffic patterns through the intersection. Motorists are advised to slow down and pay attention to traffic control.

Road Closures:

• 1300 North is now closed on both sides for approximately two weeks as crews finish up waterline installation through the intersection. Detour routes will be in place (see map below). 800 North is now open.
• 550 North is closed on the east side while crews finish the installation of storm drain under the road. This closure will last through April.

*Schedule is subject to change due to weather, equipment, or material delays

Night Work:

Beginning Monday night, April 15, crews will begin sewer lateral installation along 1800 North nightly from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Work is ongoing on the new sewer main and laterals. Motorists can expect shifting traffic patterns during this work. This work will last through approximately May.

Ongoing Utility Installation:

Utility work is ongoing throughout the project corridor. Work will take place daily Monday - Saturday from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. unless noted.

• Gas line lateral installations across 1800 North
• Culinary waterline installation from 1300 North to 1800 North. Water meter installation from 800 North to 1300 North
• Storm drain installation from 1300 North to 1800 North
• Secondary water installation from 1300 North to 1800 North.
• Signal foundation installation at 1800 North.
• Homeowners can expect intermittent access limitations at their properties as this utility work occurs. To learn more about utilities visit our website here.

Drivers can expect shifting traffic patterns. Please reduce your speed through the work zone.

Before UDOT begins the work to actually widen the road, they coordinate with utility owners and local municipalities to complete all the necessary adjustments to the utility lines under the road. Sometimes utilities are required to move because of the road improvements (moving power poles near the new sidewalk location, for example) and sometimes service providers take the opportunity that comes with exposing the road to upgrade their services (larger water lines to provide more service to growing neighborhoods or upgrades to aging infrastructure, for example).

From the driver’s eye view, this can look like repetitive work – digging up a trench, laying pipe, compacting it, and doing it all over again for the next service. The network of pipes and conduit under the road can be as congested as the cars that drive on top of it. Additionally, utilities have spacing requirements to keep clearance from other pipes in their final placement. These considerations require careful planning during the engineering design and skilled placement during construction.

While this work can require a lot of road closures and be frustrating to those who drive in the area, it’s a necessary step in delivering the services we’ve come to expect in our modern lives – flushing toilets, clean drinking water, high speed internet, heat during the winter and air conditioning during the summer. The good news is, once the road is constructed, UDOT pushes pause on permits and requests to cut into the road, emergencies notwithstanding. The utility and road work happening now is just about all of the work that will take place for the next several years.

The map above is representative of the many utility lines that crews are currently installing along 2000 West. Our engineers use the last known design plans when deciding where to move or place the new utility lines but can still be met with surprises when they dig into the road. This can cause delays while they adjust their plans in real-time. So far, we’ve not run into many surprises. Utility construction has gone smoother and faster than we had planned!