Relief is on the way for Lehi congestion

LEHI — For drivers who were blocked for three hours last week by a Union Pacific train, or who regularly face traffic delays on Main Street in Lehi, help is on the horizon.

Utah County transportation planners, local mayors and the Utah Department of Transportation are working together to provide relief for Lehi's Main Street — and they estimate the first project should be completed in about five years.

"I think that northern Utah County's time has come, and we're seeing a lot of funding on our way," said Dave Nazare, UDOT Region 3 director. "I think the people of northern Utah County have been very patient, but their time has come."

UDOT's most likely option for relieving Lehi's Main Street is a new four-lane road that would connect I-15 to Saratoga Springs by way of 1000 South in Lehi. In this scenario, drivers could access the road from the American Fork Main Street exit on I-15.

The second option is a new four-lane road from I-15 to Redwood Road by way of 2100 North in Lehi. Both roads would require reconstruction of their respective I-15 connections.

Either way, Lehi is anxious to have plans in the works, and the sooner the better.

"We're very concerned about the east-west connections," said Jamie Davidson, city administrator for Lehi. "We feel like, now, especially as our state plans to grow and there are plans to update and improve I-15 with construction in the area, we feel it is imperative to improve the east-west corridors before we begin the I-15 construction."

Currently, Lehi's Main Street serves as the main roadway to rapidly growing cities Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, home to about 16,000 residents. The road also connects one side of Lehi to the other.

According to Chad Eccles, transportation planner for the Mountainland Association of Governments, the government agency in charge of transportation planning in Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties, Lehi Main Street is among the most congested roads in Utah County.

"Even on a good day, it's pretty bad," Eccles said.

When a Union Pacific train broke down last week and blocked the road, Davidson said the city was worried that police officers and other emergency services would not be able to access the other side of town. Such a situation did not arise, but the possibility concerns the city.

"We have gotten a number of calls expressing obvious frustration," Davidson said, referring to residents' response to the train failure. "But a lot of the frustration is consistent with frustration that we hear every day from the residents, and that is, 'Why can't you do something about this situation?"'