BLUFFDALE — With nearly 1,000 people driving in and out of Camp Williams every day, Utah National Guard Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet viewed the formerly small, congested stretch of Redwood Road in front of the military base as a hazard.

"It's a safety concern for us," Tarbet said.

With a ceremonious ribbon cutting between the cannons on tanks "Crypt Keeper" and "War Pig," an expansion on a 10.2-mile stretch of state Route 68 linking Salt Lake and Utah counties was officially opened Thursday.

"What this road means to us is that our soldiers, their families and guests can come here safely and leave here safely," Tarbet said, "and that means a lot to us."

"You don't think pavement would be beautiful, but today this is beautiful," said Linda Peterson, community relations coordinator for Eagle Mountain.

Residents in the west-bench cities have only had access to each other through I-15 and the formerly two-lane Redwood Road.

With an expanded four-lane system, wider shoulders, center turn lane and wildlife under-crossings, the remodeled corridor gives a better link to the state's most populace areas.

Saratoga Springs Mayor Timothy Parker recalled being elected to his post 10 years ago, when the population was less than 1,000. Today, it's more than 11,000. The cities have outgrown the road.

"I don't think anybody anticipated the kind of growth that would take place in northwestern Utah County back then," Parker said.

That growth has left cities such as Eagle Mountain with a huge number of residents (23,000) and not enough thoroughfares.

"One of our big hindrances in Eagle Mountain is the lack of major roads," said Mayor Heather Jackson. "We're now going to start seeing the economic development hit the city."

Completion on S.R. 68 took 20 months, $72 million in taxpayer dollars, 280,000 man hours and 180,000 tons of asphalt.

Commuters out and about Thursday said it was worth every penny.

"I take the back roads so I can avoid it," said Saratoga Springs resident Jackie Leishman of Redwood Road. "But now I'll travel on it at least a few times a week. It will make my travel a lot faster."

"It used to be so backed up all the time, and rush hour is a mess," said Julie Jenson, an Eagle Mountain resident who uses the road for work and to run errands. "It will make life easier."

e-mail: astowell@desnews.com