Belt loop studied for airport access

No routes have been selected for either of the proposed roads that would make up the belt loop. Planners are considering making the west-side connector a four-lane road from the airport to the University Avenue interchange, but public input in the environmental impact study will help determine the route for the west-side connector through southwest Provo.

Tonight's meeting is a forum for Provo to gather public input on the road's location and size, Provo city engineer Nick Jones said. The process probably will take three years. More information is available on UDOT's Web site, www.udot.utah.gov.

The idea of splitting traffic off Geneva Road and running it between the lake and developed Provo land is new. It would resolve the problem of removing historic homes to widen Geneva Road. Billings told the City Council UDOT is willing to consider the concept.

"If you're willing," Billings told the council, "it may be we could redefine the Geneva Road project."

Either proposed road would likely spark new developments, farther west closer to the lake and in southwest Provo, the mayor said.

More change could be in store for Provo's west side.

The widening of I-15 from Lehi to Provo, now estimated at $3.2 billion with a timeline of about 2012, includes one proposal to build frontage roads on either side of the freeway in Provo.

Billings said the frontage roads, with new access to I-15, are critical.

"If this option fails, we'd get widened corridors with no additional access (to I-15), and we think that would be unfortunate."

City leaders believe they will have failed if they get frontage roads without getting a single-point urban interchange, or SPUI (pronounced spooey) at the Center Street I-15 interchange. The Orem University Parkway interchange is a SPUI.

The frontage road option would lead to another major change. If approved, the proposal would connect 820 North directly to 620 North (a ka Boat Harbor Drive) in the Geneva Road area. That would ease the flow of traffic from east Provo to the west side.

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E-mail: twalch@desnews.com