Lehi, UDOT compromise on corridor

LEHI — After three months of working with Lehi city staff, Utah Department of Transportation officials have decided to build the Mountain View Corridor in phases through Lehi.

Lehi officials have griped about the large corridor that will run along 2100 North because it will be close to homes and a school. The city presented a plan to UDOT in August that would place the corridor at 4800 North, an option that both UDOT and the Federal Highway Administration shot down.

The new plan, which was presented to and accepted by the Lehi City Council Tuesday night, would narrow the road and create a three-phase construction.

Phase one will include a four-lane road from Redwood Road to Interstate 15 along 2100 North and will include traffic lights, said Teri Newell, UDOT project manager, in an interview with the Deseret News. Road will be saved in the middle and on the sides for expansions. Phase two would construct express lanes in the median area that wouldn't have to stop at the lights. The express lanes would be like those UDOT plans to put in on state Route 92 from Highland to Lehi, which would be slightly raised above the other four lanes, Newell said.

The third phase would include widening the corridor to six lanes and removing the lights, making the road a freeway. However, Newell said the second and third phases wouldn't be needed until increased traffic demanded them. The third phase probably wouldn't be considered until 2030, Newell said.

So far, UDOT has $130 million allotted for the construction of the corridor in Utah County, which will be used for phase one, Newell said. She said UDOT sees the phased construction implementation as a success, constructing what residents need while working with Lehi's concerns.

"I think the big change or the big success from last night was that we found some point of agreement with the city, and (in a resolution) they showed support of the space concept," she said.

Lehi Mayor Howard Johnson said he thinks the phased construction is a successful choice.

"I think it was a fairly good thing if it continues on to get where we should be," he said.

Johnson also said he hopes they might be able to reconsider the 4800 North option and discuss other options for a larger road. He still maintains that a large road at 2100 North would be detrimental to residents.

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com