Canyon construction to increase road safety
The Utah Department of Transportation will soon undergo a large construction project in Logan Canyon that is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2006, UDOT spokesman Andy Neff said.
An official groundbreaking of the construction will take place April 21. This project will start to impact traffic situations throughout the canyon the last week of April, Neff said.
“The purpose of the construction project is to bring roadways up to current road safety standards,” Neff said.
To make the roads safer, UDOT is going to widen roads, add passing lanes, smooth out sharp curves and make intersection improvements. Neff said this will decrease the high accident rate that is currently present throughout Logan Canyon. They will also add facilities with tourist information, restrooms and a picnic area, and there will be construction done on a Bear Lake Overlook.
Neff said this project has a $21.8 million budget to make the roads safer for travelers.
According to a press release, the Logan Canyon Construction Project is going to run between the summit of Logan Canyon to Garden City. About seven miles of U.S Highway 89 will be closed on and off throughout the construction.
UDOT is trying to increase awareness about this project. Neff said they realize that this is a high-traveled area for many students and summer travelers. It will impact people who travel to Bear Lake and other surrounding areas during this time.
“Our goal is to maintain one lane open in each direction for traffic,” Neff said. “But there will need to be full closures of the canyon for rock blasting.”
The canyon closures for rock blasting will begin in late April and continue through September. Most of the closures will take place from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., excluding weekends and holidays when travel increases.
There aren’t any easy alternate routes for travelers, so UDOT plans to keep one lane of traffic open whenever possible, Neff said. However, there will still be delays until the construction is completed.
Neff said UDOT is trying to let tourists and students know about this construction so they can plan ahead.
A hotline with current updates will be available for the public at 1-866-644-US89. People can also visit the UDOT Web site at www.udot.utah.gov/logancanyon that will have current information about the project.
-speery@cc.usu.edu