UDOT: Prepare for I-15 lane closures in Utah County

PROVO — Work is accelerating for the I-15 CORE project in Utah County, which means for obstacles facing commuters.

The Utah Department of Transportation has finished about 25 percent of the work required to complete the rebuilding of a 24-mile span of I-15 in Utah County, but to meet the completion deadline in December 2012, construction is picking up fast.

The next big impact for drivers will begin when UDOT closes at least one lane that's currently open from 500 East in American Fork to 200 South in Lindon for about two weeks. 

When UDOT closed a lane in the same area last fall, traffic backed up for miles, delaying drivers 20 to 30 minutes not only during the commute but during the day and evening.

An additional southbound lane needs to be closed because the paving equipment has to be right next to the lane during construction. 

"We want to make sure our workers are safe," Thompson said. "We want to give them enough of a safety zone so they can do the work and not be right up against traffic, so we're going to close a lane."

UDOT engineers haven't made a final decision on when the closure will begin, but it could be this week. When the southbound lane reopens, a northbound lane will then close for about two weeks.