Those who have fought against construction of Legacy say negotiations will be a "win win" for Davis County, Weber County and all others who travel north of Salt Lake City. The environment will be better protected, and residents will have more alternatives for travel, said Marc Heileson, regional representative for the Sierra Club.

Said Roger Borgenicht, with Utahns for Better Transportation: "You don't win everything in a compromise, but I think we advanced the notion of civilized roads and more transportation options."

As part of the agreement signed Wednesday, the state has said they will work to set up a process for avoiding future lawsuits like the lengthy challenge against Legacy. Carlos Braceras, deputy director for the Utah Department of Transportation, said a precedent will be set that allows for negotiations to occur early in the process of building a road.

"We're solving problems here," he said. "We believe we have found a way to find answers without going to court."

To read details of the settlement, or more more details about the Legacy Parkway, log on to: www.udot.utah.gov.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com

Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche, Bob Bernick Jr.