Study identifies highway projects

A study by the Utah Department of Transportation has identified various projects to speed up the traffic flow along east-west routes in Davis and Weber counties.

Similar studies were conducted in Salt Lake, Utah and Washington counties, as well.

The Davis and Weber study urges the Utah Legislature to fund priority projects to begin construction between 2008 and 2013. Although projects aren't listed by priority, at the top of the list is a north-south route — an extension of state Route 67, which is the Legacy Parkway.

Local planners in Davis County envision the extension to travel from Farmington to the Weber County border along the western side of Davis County, through Weber, toward the Smith and Edwards interchange at U.S. 89 and I-15.

UDOT has begun a $20 million environmental-impact statement to study the extension, sometimes called North Legacy, and where the roadway could be aligned.

Of the 63 projects identified for the next 25 years, 15 are related to the Legacy extension. Four are prioritized to begin in the next five years depending on funding and construction costs.

Other priorities for the next five years include widening projects on 1800 North in Sunset and Clinton, state Route 108 in Syracuse, Harrison Boulevard in Ogden, 40th Street in Ogden and Riverdale Road.

New construction projects could include punching Antelope Drive through to U.S. 89 in Layton and extending state Route 193 from 200 South toward 700 South in Clearfield.

The report makes two recommendations, according to the Langdon Group, which facilitated public comment.

The first is the five-year priority list of transportation projects that Utah lawmakers are encouraged to fund immediately. The second is a 30-year vision to match desires of the community.

UDOT executive director John Njord told the Utah Legislature's Transportation Interim Committee in September that a prioritization process exists for the state's Transportation Commission to follow as it identifies transportation needs.

More information is available at www.udot.utah.gov/daviswebereastwest.

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E-mail: jdougherty@desnews.com