Road headache about to hit Orem

OREM — The first pangs of a long construction headache in Orem are starting to hit, but project managers hope that constant communication with motorists will help alleviate the pain.

Starting today at 9 p.m., construction crews will be moving street signals. Then from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, they'll scout underground utility lines at the intersection of 800 North and State Street.

For motorists, that means no midweek left turns at the intersection because lanes will be temporarily inhabited by machinery.

"If a motorist ... knows what the impacts will be, they are better able to work or deal with those impacts," said Geoff Dupaix, a spokesman for Utah's Department of Transportation. "Enhancing our ability to communicate ... leads to a more successful project in the end."

With that goal in mind, UDOT has picked a public information manager, Justin Smart, who will serve as a public liaison to project managers. Information and updates can be found at www.udot.utah.gov/orem800north or by calling 801-360-4944.

The heavy-duty construction begins next Monday at 800 North and 400 West, where crews will dig two 14-foot trenches 10 feet apart on the north side of the road — future homes for a 36-inch steel water line and a 24-inch high-pressure gas line.

The Questar gas line will eventually connect to the new power plant in Vineyard, while the water line is preparation for future needs, Dupaix said.

Orem, UDOT and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District thought it would be better to put the line in now as construction was being done rather than be forced to rip the road up later to do the work.

Crews aim to reach State Street by the first or second week of February, which means no more left turns again. Once there, they will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to dig trenches, lay pipes and get out of motorists' way.

The construction squeeze will last from four to six weeks, then crews will head farther east to begin widening a much longer section of 800 North east of State Street.

The east end of the project is slated to begin in May or June and be completed in late fall 2008, Dupaix estimated.

The $56 million widening project, which includes the cost of purchasing and demolishing old homes along the north side of 800 North, was just handed the last needed $7 million by lawmakers Friday, Dupaix said.

In the end, on 800 North, what was once a five-lane road will become a seven-lane road with a raised, landscaped median from 400 West to 800 East. It will look similar to the median on University Parkway near the shopping centers and auto dealerships.

"(The year) 2007 is going to be very interesting," said Orem City Engineer Ed Gifford. "I believe this potentially could be the biggest construction year residents see."

For more information on 800 North project

Project liaison:

• Justin Smart — public information manager

e-mail: jsmart@langdongroupinc.com

phone: 801-360-4944

Web site: www.udot.utah.gov/orem800north

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E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com