5 street options offered

SANDY — The Utah Department of Transportation has narrowed its options for reconstructing roads in the 11400 South area, and only one of the five remaining alternatives includes building a new I-15 interchange.

The reduced focus on adding an interchange at I-15 and 11400 South is a departure from UDOT's previous plan, formed in the late 1990s, which resulted in federal approval to construct the new freeway connection.

But after local residents took UDOT to court, asking that other alternatives be considered, the agency entered a more involved process to produce an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the entire 11400 South area — from the Bangerter Highway to 700 East, and from 10400 South to 12600 South.

That process has progressed to the point that the five alternatives are ready for public review and comment, and UDOT has held three open houses this week to present its new plans.

"That's probably what's different about this study from the last study is that we're not looking at that point (I-15 and 11400 South), we're looking at a study area to find out what solutions are needed in that area," said UDOT project manager Joe Kammerer.

"And any time you do that, you're going to end up with creative minds from the community and creative minds from the project team coming up with different ways to meet that need."

The first of the five options, the "no-build" alternative, is perhaps the least likely to survive the EIS process and be sent to the Federal Highway Administration for approval.

The other four alternatives range from projected costs of $145 million to $235 million. Option four, the one that includes a $20 million freeway interchange at 11400 South, would cost a total of $145 million.

Kammerer said he had no expectations about how many, if any, of the final alternatives would include a 11400 South freeway interchange, despite the fact that the proposed interchange is why UDOT began studying the area in the first place. He could not explain why only one of the remaining alternatives calls for the interchange.

"I don't know that there's a logical reason. I think it's just a result of the process, really, it seemed to come out that way," he said.

"The purpose and need is to . . . maintain the quality of life. But we want to improve the mobility in the study area, and we want to be sure that all the alternatives are consistent with land use and economic development."