Get set to car-pool

PROVO — Car-pool travel in Utah County is arriving sooner than expected, and officials say commuters can expect to do the same.

The 15-mile stretch of car-pool lanes on I-15 between the Alpine interchange in Lehi and University Parkway in Orem will be open in time for the Friday morning commute, the Utah Department of Transportation has announced.

The $43 million project has been under way since June 2005 and originally was expected to be done in July. Dave Nazare, UDOT Region 3 director, credits the early opening to the project contractor, Draper-based Wadsworth Brothers Construction Co.

The completion of the project creates 38 miles of continuous car-pool lanes — the longest stretch in the nation, according to UDOT — from 600 North in Salt Lake City to University Parkway.

"Utah County residents can look forward to decreased congestion and faster commute times on I-15 with the new car-pool lanes," said John Njord, UDOT executive director.

Car-pool lanes, also called high-occupancy vehicle or HOV lanes, are open to vehicles with more than one passenger, buses, motorcycles and clean-fuel vehicles.

With the new stretch of lanes, UDOT estimates motorists traveling between Utah and Salt Lake counties will save as much as 20 minutes per trip during heavy commutes.

"It will take traffic off the general-purpose lanes," Nazare said.

And that's good news for Utah County motorists.

"Our opinion is that folks in north Utah County need some congestion relief," Nazare said. "This isn't the final solution, but it will help."

Travel times may decrease even further in late August or early September, when the car-pool lines are converted to high-occupancy toll or HOT lanes. The lanes will allow a single driver to pay $50 per month for the right to drive in the car-pool lanes.

UDOT officials say overall speed on I-15 during morning and afternoon rush-hour traffic will increase an average of 10 mph without negatively affecting travel time in the car-pool lanes.

In April, the state Transportation Commission gave UDOT a green light on HOT lanes for the 38-mile stretch of I-15. It will cost the state $2.6 million to implement the lanes.

Motorists who want to use the lanes but travel alone will have to purchase one of the 600 permit stickers to place in the front and back windows of their vehicles. The stickers are expected to be made available online in July, Nazare said.

Estimated revenue from the stickers is about $360,000, which will be used to maintain and operate the HOT lanes.

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