UDOT outlines two-year plan to replace University Avenue bridge; lane and pedestrian detours planned

The Utah Department of Transportation presented plans Sept. 23 for a full replacement of the University Avenue bridge over the UTA/FrontRunner corridor, saying work will start in October and the project is scheduled to finish in 2027.

UDOT project manager Andy Spencer said a contractor is mobilizing next week and that crews will use a staged approach: build the west side first, then the east, keeping one travel lane open in each direction while work proceeds. Spencer said the structure is at the end of its service life and that replacement is necessary after inspections and interim repairs performed in 2021.

Spencer and UDOT communications manager Wyatt Woollie showed renderings of the new crossing and said the replacement will widen the bridge to add eight-foot sidewalks, six-foot bike lanes and two full motor vehicle lanes in each direction once work is complete. Spencer said the new structure will have longer spans with fewer piers — “so the openings under the bridge are fewer and larger” — and mechanically stabilized earth walls that will eliminate parking and camping underneath the overpass.

Spencer and Woollie described traffic and pedestrian detours. They said UDOT will maintain one lane open in each direction across the bridge during most work but strongly encouraged drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to use alternate routes to reduce congestion and safety risks in the work zone. UDOT identified I‑15/Center Street, Lakeview Parkway and other signalized crossings as preferred alternatives, and it said it will add signage and short-term improvements (for example, double-turn lanes at some intersections) to support those detours. UDOT also said it will post pedestrian detour signage and coordinate with the contractor on temporary routing for people walking and biking.

Council members asked about cross-street turning movements that will be limited when the new layout is in place and about how UDOT will prevent illegal turns (UDOT said islands and signage will block some movements but would allow emergency vehicles). Spencer said the design intentionally limits some turning movements at 500 South and similar intersections to reduce crashes and to protect corridor flow; left turns will be removed at 500 South and left‑turn capacity will be provided nearby at signalized locations such as 400 South.

UDOT said construction will include utility work and a period of heavier impacts beginning in late October; most lane impacts are not expected before about Oct. 20. The agency said it has a project web page and will post updates and detour maps; staff gave a printed handout and a QR code to attendees.

No formal action was taken by the council during the presentation. UDOT staff said they will coordinate detours and final phasing with Provo staff and that they plan to minimize unscheduled impacts during local events and commuter peaks.

Why it matters: the bridge handles local and regional traffic near the BYU area and over FrontRunner/UTA tracks. The project adds protected bike and pedestrian space and reduces the number of in-water/open piers, while construction phasing and detours are expected to cause multi-month travel changes for motorists, transit users and pedestrians.

What happens next: UDOT will finalize phasing, sign details and pedestrian detours with Provo staff in the coming month. Work will begin with contractor mobilization in early October, with heavier lane impacts projected later in the month and an overall completion date in 2027.

Speakers quoted in this article are limited to persons who presented at the meeting.