Sandy mulls plans to extend Highland Drive

SANDY — The city of Sandy is weighing plans to extend Highland Drive beyond 9800 South.

The future of Highland Drive was researched as part of a transportation master plan completed in 2009. A full copy of the plan can be found online at www.sandy.utah.gov/transportation.

The city determined that to meet future transportation needs, one of two projects must be completed: extending Highland Drive and creating a five-lane major arterial way that will tie into Draper, or widening 1300 East and Wasatch Boulevard.

Sandy has completed the purchase and preservation of rights of way within the corridor. Since 2007, the city has applied annually for federal funding to pursue an environmental impact statement that would study the corridor to see if the road is necessary and identify any potential impacts.

To date, the city has not yet been approved to receive funding to complete the study. The current time estimate for the completion of the EIS and the resulting recommendation would be between 2017 and 2027.

In the interim, Sandy has plans to construct a two-lane segment of road between 9800 South and Sego Lily. The project is small in scale and would be built to help with traffic flow in the adjoining neighborhoods. The project has not been funded and will not be constructed for three to five years. For more information, contact Sandy traffic engineer Ryan Kump at 801-568-2999.