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Residents and commissioners clash with UDOT over proposed I‑84 changes; commission vows to press state and federal officials to keep Exit 92 open
Summary
A large public turnout urged Morgan County commissioners to oppose closing either direction of Exit 92 on I‑84. Commissioners described prior outreach to UDOT and said they will escalate concerns to state and federal officials while also mobilizing resident outreach.
Hundreds of residents and multiple Morgan County commissioners spent a lengthy Sept. 16 meeting segment debating the future of Exit 92 on Interstate 84 after UDOT published a draft environmental study discussing possible interchange reconfigurations.
Residents from Mountain Green and the Highlands told commissioners they strongly oppose any closure of Exit 92 in either direction, citing public safety, emergency response time, evacuation routes for wildfire and the economic importance of local businesses near the interchange. Several residents recounted near‑misses, collisions and daytime traffic speeds they described as far higher than posted limits on Old Highway Road and Ranch Boulevard.
Commissioners outlined the county’s advocacy to date: multiple letters to UDOT and a request that the state consider the county’s ambulance and emergency response data, future development in Mountain Green and the effects on local road maintenance if UDOT were to change access. County officials said UDOT has cited a Federal Highway Administration spacing guideline recommending minimum distances between interchanges; commissioners and staff noted that the FHWA standard cited is termed a guideline in national practice and asked the state to pursue a waiver or a formal exception if necessary.
Commissioners and residents discussed next steps: (1) encourage residents to contact UDOT and state elected officials to express opposition to exit closure, (2) ask UDOT region leadership and the UDOT director to reconsider the closure and request that UDOT seek an FHWA allowance where needed, and (3) engage state legislators and, if necessary, federal officials to secure dedicated funding for a new Trappers Loop interchange and for a solution that keeps Exit 92 open until new infrastructure is in place.
County staff reported UDOT has already committed to some traffic safety measures in the short term: installation of radar speed feedback signs along Old Highway Road and a modest speed limit reduction in certain segments. Commissioners said they want the state to pursue a solution that does not force local drivers and emergency services to use longer detours and that does not place long‑term maintenance risk on county taxpayers.
Why this matters: I‑84 is the primary regional corridor serving Pineview Reservoir, Snowbasin and significant development in Mountain Green. Changes to interchange access would affect emergency response, local traffic patterns and regional tourism and could require significant county and state coordination to mitigate.
