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North Utah County Corridor and Interchange Feasibility Study

INTRODUCTION
Over the last several years the north part of Utah County has experienced large population and development growth. This growth has been accompanied by steadily increasing traffic demands and is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The increase in traffic associated with this unprecedented growth has area residents and government leaders concerned about increased commuter and pass-through traffic, increased accident potential, and the pressure it puts on the existing road system network. Mountainland Association of Governments recognizes these problems and is seeking to formulate an area wide street master plan that will outline the necessary infrastructure needs to meet the demands of the area for the upcoming decades. This plan will be a tool that the local jurisdictions in the study area can use in planning and funding their future roadway construction efforts.

The North Utah County Corridor and Interchange Feasibility Study has three purposes. One purpose of the study was to evaluate alternatives for new road alignments and improvements to existing roads and intersections within a north-south corridor in the vicinity of the boundary between Highland and Lehi, and within an east-west corridor in the vicinity of the boundary between American Fork and Highland. Traffic in these two corridors intending to use Interstate 15 for north-south regional trips would access the freeway at the newly reconstructed interchange at Main Street in Lehi. The second purpose of the study was to determine the feasibility of a new interchange on Interstate 15 between the interchanges at State Route 241 (1600 North Orem) and State Route 180 (500 East American Fork), approximately at mile post 278. The feasibility of the interchange also included evaluations of new connections to the interchange. The third purpose was to study improvement needs for two major north/south arterials, State Route 74 and 1100 East/4800 West.

PRELIMINARY STUDY RESULTS
After several meetings and consultation with each of the cities in the study area, four alternative cases were developed that meet the purpose of the project. Please refer to the attached map. The cases are as follows:

  • Case I involves Alternatives 1 and A. Alternative 1 is a north/south corridor which includes 7200 West (1200 East in Lehi) and 6800 West. These collectors would be improved to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane, contained within 66 feet of right-of-way. 7200 West would be extended to connect with SR-92. These two collectors would provide improved north/south access and circulation in the western half of the study area, and also serve as alternative routes to SR-74 and 4800 West. Alternative A is the east/west collector that connects SR-74 (Alpine Highway) and 4800 West by extending 10400 North through the Adventure and Learning Park to Cedar Hills Drive. This road would have one lane in each direction with a center turn lane, contained within 66 feet of right-of-way.


  • Case II involves Alternatives 1 and B. Alternative 1 is the same as in Case I. Alternative B is the east/west collector that would link 7200 West to SR-146. It would also have one lane in each direction with a center turn lane, contained within 66 feet of right-of-way.


  • Case III incorporates Alternatives 2 and A. Alternative 2 is a north/south corridor that would run between US-89 and SR-92 at about 7000 West. This alternative would have two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane, contained within 84 feet of right-of-way. Alternative A is the same as described in Case I.


  • Case IV combines Alternatives 2 and B. Alternative 2 is the same as described in Case III, and Alternative B is the same as described in Case II except that it would link 7000 West with SR-146.


    • At this time, the alternatives in Case IV appear to best meet the first purpose of the project because they would facilitate the traffic needs more suitably than the other alternatives. Alternative 2 would provide better direct access to SR-73 and 1-15 than 7200 West and 6800 West. Alternative B is more centrally located between SR-92 and US-89 than Alternative A and would provide better access to properties within the center of the project area, thus allowing it to serve the traveling public more effectively.

    The second part of this study was to determine the feasibility of a new interchange on Interstate 15 at approximately mile post 278. This location is near the current site of a rest area for southbound traffic on Interstate 15. This rest area is planned to be relocated opposite from the existing rest area for northbound traffic. A new interchange at mile post 278 would provide direct access to the cities of Lindon and Pleasant Grove, which currently do not have direct freeway access. Pressure to develop more commercial areas along the freeway to support the growing population has prompted the need for an additional access. This interchange would also provide direct access to four major traffic generators north of the freeway:

    1. American Fork Hospital
    2. New LDS Temple
    3. New Alpine School District High School
    4. Utah State Developmental Center


    This study has determined that a new access to Interstate 15 at the proposed location is feasible because of the need to relieve existing and anticipated traffic congestion at the adjacent interchanges, the opportunities for commercial development along the freeway, and the anticipated traffic that will be generated by the new LDS temple and the new high school. Currently, an official request to the Utah Dept. of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for the new interchange is underway. The interchange is shown in each of the cases and was incorporated into the overall roadway network planned for 2015.

    The third component of the study was to analyze the needs for improving SR-74 and 4650/4800 West specifically because of the growth in Highland and Alpine. It was determined that in order to adequately accommodate the anticipated traffic volume increases, both of those roads should be widened to two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane, contained within a minimum right-of-way of 84 feet.

    PRINCIPAL IMPROVEMENT NEEDS
    The project team has identified short range, medium range, and long range improvement needs for the study area. The following is a sampling of those needs.

    Short Range Plan (0 - 5 years)
  • Improve 4650/4800 West between State Street and the Alpine Highway in Alpine to a five-lane section.
  • Begin acquiring/preserving right-of-way for all of the improvements outlined in the medium range and long range plans.


    • Medium Range Plan (5 -15 years)
  • Improve SR-92 between 1-15 and SR-146 (Canyon Drive) to a five-lane section.
  • Improve/construct roads associated with the selected Case or other accepted alternatives.
  • Construct the new interchange with 1-15.


    • Long Range Plan (15 - 20 years)
  • Improve 700 North between 6800 West and SR-146 to a three-lane section.
  • Improve Murdock Drive from 1800 North to 1000 South in Pleasant Grove to a three-lane section.




    • North Utah County Corridor and Interchange Feasibility Study July 12, 1995

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