UDOT sued over S.L. County interchange plans

It's back to court for the Utah Department of Transportation — this time over a massive interchange project proposed for south Salt Lake County.

Early last week, a Draper resident and a South Jordan resident filed suit against UDOT, asking that construction plans for an I-15 interchange at 11400 South be stopped until the department can do further study of impact and need.

The litigants also asked that a planned expansion of 10400 South from the Bangerter Highway to Redwood Road be stopped. The suit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. A hearing is not anticipated until this summer.

"We want them to look at the whole region down here," said plaintiff Brad Davis during an interview Friday. "We want them to look at the social impacts on the region. We want them to look at more creative ways of dealing with traffic other than just putting down another road. We want them to preserve the neighborhoods as they stand."

Davis and his wife, Nicole, were part of a similar suit four years ago to halt construction of the 11400 South project. The suit was dismissed because UDOT agreed that a more expansive and in-depth study of the project and its regional impact was needed.

UDOT said Friday that it now stands by its studies of both 11400 South and 10400 South.

"We believe we were not deficient and it was done thoroughly," said Joe Kammerer, UDOT project manager. "We knew it (the lawsuit) was possible on the project, but we also feel we did a real good job."

Kammerer said a new I-15 interchange at 11400 South is needed to relieve congestion on 10600 South and 12300 South. The interchange is part of a two-phase project that includes extension of 11400 South to the Bangerter Highway and widening of 10600 south.

At least 26 homes would be demolished during the second phase, which is still unfunded. The interchange portion of the project is anticipated to cost $32 million.

Expansion of 10400 South is also needed for congestion relief, said Kammerer.

While work was scheduled to begin on both projects this summer, Kammerer said work will be delayed as a result of the lawsuit. Some design work for the projects will continue, but contractors will not likely be brought on as expected, he said.

"We will continue to do things the right way," said Kammerer. "We'll just hold."

Davis is hopeful the courts will provide incentive for UDOT to change their approach to road building and transportation.

"Their answer to every problem is pavement," he said. "They need to change their whole view and say we aren't a department of paving, we are a department of transportation."

For more information about UDOT's 11400 South interchange project, go to: www.udot.utah.gov/11400south.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com