Carlos Braceras, deputy director for Utah's Department of Transportation, said Utah County's problems are "very poignant but they are not unique." He said other areas of the state have great needs as well.

"But this area is definitely a poster child for this problem." he said.

MAG Executive Director Darrell Cook said while the numbers show need, they really fail to convey the seriousness of the problem.

"When we talk crisis in Utah County, that's literally what we're talking about," he said.

"The Governor's Office of Planning and Budgets says we'll have 630,000 people by 2030. We're saying it will be more like 800,000. We're already feeling that in our communities. As growth continues, we have to be sensitive to the short-term need as well as the long-term."

"It's the rate of growth that is of concern. The rate of growth is really out of sight," Braceras said. "The area has transformed very quickly from agricultural to urban."

Braceras said I-15 currently has 117,000 vehicle trips per day.

"If 20 percent of that number are on U-73, that's a current and future challenge."

---

E-mail: haddoc@desnews.com