Comments about ‘West Jordan intersection a 'Highway of Death'’

The Bachaus highway is SR111 sometimes called 8400 W. Lets get the names straight to established location. This road has been so named Bachaus highway long before homes got street numbers in the sand pits.

Perhaps people should pay more attention to what they move into, the neighbor hoods and road conditions. Cities and developers are out to make money and could care less about peoples safety.

The Bacchus highway has always been and will be an industrial road with Kenecott in your back yard. They own the whole Oquirh mountain range and probably this road.

This road is an open rural road with wildlife looking for its wintering range that has disappeared under the homes and are one hazard. The other hazard is out of control speed demons driving along the road, especially construction vehicles and load haulers as if they were on a roller coaster.

But the biggest problem, is the people who don't look before they buy in to fraud and city abuse.

While the Utah Road Commission finds a "fix" for this intersection, they should take a look at the intersection in Layton. The intersection at Hwy 89 and Gentile Ave is not only a highway of death...it has been.

All highways are death highways if people keep driving like they do. It's obvious you can't walk and chew gum what makes you think you can drive and use your cell at the same time.

This is ridiculous. School district waits for UDOT, UDOT waits for the city, city waits for the school district. Think about your kindergartner or 1st grader next year crossing the highway. Come on School District and West Jordan, step up!!!

...So parents, you drive your kids yourself!

SJ Mom:

Some people have jobs in order to support themselves and their families.

@my2cents - so it's the residents fault for buying a home by Bacchus? They should just stop complaining, is your solution? Don't be shortsighted just because it doesn't affect you and yours.
It's called progress and growth, not fraud and city abuse. As more families are created, they need homes to live in, hence new homes being built in West Jordan. West Jordan needs to step up and keep up with the growth. Articles and stories like this one help that happen.

I've watched this stuff go on in S.L. county for years.

NONE of the different agencies communicate with (at least enough to make any difference)each other at all. They all blame the others.
Schools think they can/should build a school wherever they want.
UDOT or the city says the road was there "first", so its the school districts fault for building where they did.
Its always been REAL BAD planning on everyone's part, but I personally think the school district is to blame because I've never seen them pay any attention whatsoever to traffic patterns/flows when they build a school, or re-draw school boundaries.

Sure, the cities always provide crossing guards, but can't anything ever be done so that schools don't have to have kids walking on/near busy roads?

Some sort of central urban planning SHOULD have solved this years ago.

Yes. I agree this community is suburban sprawl at its worst. The houses west of the highway should never have received building permits until a long term highway impact could have been conducted, with problems identified and solutions and methods to pay for long ago planned for.

There are literally hundreds of acres of vacant undeveloped land east of this highway and area that could have been developed.

People... when you buy a home you need to look at all factors before purchasing. As a parent with school aged kids. This would have been a HUGE RED FLAG to not buy in this area. And these are not cheap homes so the affordability argument doesn't work here.

My children and their families live in Utah. I live in the Denver area. One thing I've noticed in Utah that is very apparent; nnd that is, the majority of drivers in Utah are idiots! Everyone I know who comes into Utah from another state, says the same thing. Even my children in Utah speak often of it.

Nearly every day I read in the Deseret News that there was another accident and a number of people were killed. So, what am I saying? It doesn't matter what they do in Utah to fix the roads and make them safe - people in Utah don't know how to drive, period!

I've tried to get UDOT to lower the speed limit of U-111 where it passes through school zones in West Jordan. They dropped it from 60 MPH to 55 MPH! It's 35 MPH where it passes through Magna. West Jordan city officials don't seem to realize this area is part of their city and just ignore the problems. Mayor Johnson take a ride and get acquainted with your city.

@Keith43; Every state says that about everyone else and their driving habits.

If you are not from Utah and don't understand the highway in question why comment on this story? I drive this highway numerous times each month to get to a friend's house in Herriman and it is dangerous because it is overused and only a two lane road most of the way. And many industrial vehicles use this road.

The critical area in question is growing like crazy with new homes, yes even in this economy, and this is just one of many growing pains experienced in Utah.

The developer should have installed the skywalk when the streets were built and before any houses were sold. They knew they were selling homes to families with children who would have to get across that highway.

The city should never have approved the development without a skywalk. That way it could have been paid for by those who would use it, who insisted on living on the dangerous side of the road.

Perhaps a special service district should be created so those residents can finance this improvement to their community.

@TheCanuck,

Just for the record, I used to live in West Jordan and worked out at ATK in Magna. I'm very familiar with, and have traveled the the road in question. And, I do agree that something needs to be done.

But, on the subject of Utah drivers, there is a distinct difference in their lousy discourteous driving habits. Many of them simply appear to be disconnected from everything and everyone around them - as if, everyone else just doesn't exist.

Perhaps school boundaries could be changed to make it so no child has to cross the dangerous street to get to school.

Make the street the boundary.

@the rock,

There are no schools on the west side of the highway to walk to. They would need to be bussed. The best cost effective way to fix this problem is a skywalk over the highway. But one that is wide enough to accommodate any future highway widening that will no doubt happen.

@the rock,

There are no schools on the west side of the highway to walk to. They would need to be bussed. The best cost effective way to fix this problem is a skywalk over the highway. But one that is wide enough to accommodate any future highway widening that will no doubt happen.

How many lost lives will be enough, before the politics gets set aside and someone in charge decides to finally spend the bucks to build pedestrian overpasses and do whatever else is needed? One thing I've always noticed about politicians, is that when it's something that they want, the money all of a sudden, appears.

Ask Kennecott to build the Skybridge....DUH! They own the whole mountain range. And all they need to do to pay for it is build another Daybreak. Oh wait, I'm pretty sure the land west of U111 (Baccus Highway) was, once, KENNECOTT land...making them, who profited by the sale of their land, guilty of developing the land in question, with no regard for the safety of the school children. Yeah, ask Kennecott.

for all the ignorant people, i happen to live across u111. And it is scary. You have no idea! To have jr high kids cross that is dangerous! Yeah, we should have thought about that before. But does that change the fact its still happening? Your stupid if it does. Were not just gonna let jr high kids cross that street. If they were your kids youd do the same. SO dont put your 2cents in if theyre going to be dumb. NO ONE CARES. Oh, and if you dont live in thee state, why are you in this? This has NOTHING to do with you. And our driving? Excuse me, but i happen to be an awesome driver. There is stupid drivers in your state to! Look on your roads! And to everyone who cares about this and is doing something for it. Thank you(:Your "2cents" are acceptable.