Utah County corridor meeting tonight

The Utah Department of Transportation hopes to get Utah County residents talking and asking questions about the proposed Mountain View Corridor.

UDOT officials have reached the midway point of its summer tour of cities that will be affected by the west-side freeway proposed to run from I-80 in Salt Lake County to northwest Utah County.

Five of the town hall-style meetings in the next month are scheduled in north county cities, beginning tonight in Lindon.

"The goal of the outreach is getting discussion about Mountain View Corridor started," said Teri Newell, UDOT project manager.

Meetings have focused on statewide transportation funding issues and their relation to the proposed freeway, as well as the state's yearlong toll-road study.

Building Mountain View Corridor as a toll road has been the only identified way to get it built in the near future, according to UDOT.

Over the next 25 years, transportation planners estimate the state will face a $16.5 billion funding deficit for road projects.

The 35-mile Mountain View Corridor alone is predicted to cost more than $1 billion, with between $600 million and $700 million of that going toward the Utah County portion of the project.

Statewide, UDOT estimates it will take $23 billion by 2030 to keep up with capacity needs, and the usual federal, state and local funding sources only account for $6.5 billion.

Most Utah residents seem to be aware of the funding shortfall and understand why tolling is being explored, Newell said.

To them, she said, it's an issue of fairness: Why must this road be tolled when others are being built without it?

The answer: All future new capacity highway projects will be evaluated as possible candidates for tolling.

During a meeting of the Utah Transportation Commission earlier this month, commissioners discussed making that statement its toll policy. The commission is expected to vote on the policy in July.

Ultimately, the decision whether to build Mountain View as a toll road is up to the Transportation Commission.

If Mountain View is given the green light as a toll road, construction could begin as soon as 2009, Newell said. If not, the project would be on hold until funding can be secured.

UDOT plans to release a toll study and route alternatives for Mountain View Corridor this fall. Four alternatives for the road are being studied in Utah County. Information about those alternatives will be available at the town hall meetings.

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