Regional council recommends Amendment 4 to 2023–2050 RTP for 30‑day public comment

Wasatch Front Regional Council members voted to recommend that Amendment No. 4 to the 2023–2050 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) be released for a 30‑day public comment period and forwarded to the Regional Growth Committee for review.

The amendment covers three principal projects: a re‑phasing and cost update for a Legacy Parkway widening in Davis County, a request to advance an I‑15 widening in Box Elder County into an earlier phase, and removal of a passing‑lane operational project (RB‑17) that would be replaced by the full widening. Council staff said the changes were requested by Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to improve traffic flow and safety during concurrent construction on I‑15 and related corridors.

Council staff reported that UDOT’s analysis indicates advancing the Legacy Parkway widening to Phase 1 would yield better traffic flows during I‑15 construction, reduce construction time on I‑15 by nine to 12 months and produce an estimated roughly $200 million in benefits to the I‑15 project. The Legacy Parkway change also includes a cost update to about $65 million and a change in lane type from a high‑occupancy toll (HOT) configuration to general‑purpose lanes. Staff said funding for the Legacy Parkway work would come from the Transportation Investment Fund.

The I‑15 widening in Box Elder County had funds identified by the Utah Transportation Commission in June and would replace the smaller operational passing‑lane project RB‑17 currently in the RTP. Staff explained that because of heavy truck traffic in that corridor, it is more efficient to fund a full widening now than to install passing lanes and return later for additional widening.

Council members moved and seconded a recommendation that the Regional Growth Committee (RGC) review and release the Level 3 full amendment projects and the supporting air quality conformity determination to a 30‑day public comment period. The motion was approved; the chair stated the recommendation would go to RGC and then to public comment. The staff schedule presented to the council calls for RGC review on Aug. 21, release for public comment on Aug. 22, public comment review after Sept. 22, RGC consideration again Oct. 16 and final council action expected Oct. 23.

During discussion, council members and staff noted the projects’ anticipated benefits for freight and construction staging, and asked about traffic forecasting and household/job forecast inputs. Weber County representatives raised questions about changing traffic volumes and asked staff to follow up with modeling details. Council staff said they had coordinated with the interagency consultation team and Federal Highway Administration on financial constraints and air quality conformity for the amendment.

Next steps: the amendment will be posted for a 30‑day public comment period and returned to RGC for review of comments before final council action.