UDOT outlines long disruptions, multi-year timelines for Bangerter and Mountain View projects; promises detours, dust mitigation

Rob Stewart, Region 2 director for the Utah Department of Transportation, told the Riverton City Council that major interchange work on Bangerter Highway and the design and phased build of Mountain View Corridor will cause concentrated local disruptions over the next two to three years but deliver “improving east‑west delay by over 50%” when substantially complete.

Stewart opened by identifying the geographic scope of Region 2 as Tooele, Salt Lake and Summit counties and saying he speaks both as a UDOT official and “as a resident of Riverton.” He described three projects that will directly affect Riverton traffic: the Bangerter Highway interchange work, the 2700 West (2700 W) ramps and the Mountain View Corridor design‑bid‑build project.

The most immediate impact is at the Bangerter Highway interchange near 1300 South, Stewart said. UDOT crews have installed the pedestrian overpass and shifted traffic to new ramps; 1300 South is closed in its current configuration as crews excavate and construct the undercrossing. Stewart told council the closure of right‑turn lanes from 1300 South onto Bangerter is tied to relocation of a sewer line and, after discussing timing with city staff, UDOT concluded the relocation has to happen and that “doing it now … is the best of the worst solutions.” He added the project team heard public preference for heavy impacts of short duration rather than intermittent closures over a longer period.

Council members pressed UDOT on detour signing, business access and impacts to nearby neighborhoods. Council Member Pucci asked whether left turns to and from 1300 South would remain possible; Stewart said project staff told him left turns will still be allowed but the right‑turn closures will be required for the utility work regardless of timing. Pucci and others asked for advance and prominent detour notices targeted at Mountain View Village and neighborhood accesses to reduce cut‑through traffic into Deer Mountain Estates and South Hills Middle School area. Stewart said UDOT staff will meet with the city communications team and work on detour signing that conforms to UDOT traffic control standards.

On schedule, Stewart said the utility closure window is planned to begin in mid‑February and to continue through May for the sewer relocation work, and that one element of the bridge/undercrossing contract has a 360‑day timeframe for reopening the cross street. “That 360 days marks the timeline where they have to have the cross street reopened,” he said, and substantial completion for the interchange work is projected into winter 2025–26 with ancillary clean up and striping following when weather allows.

Dust and staging were raised repeatedly by council members and residents. Stewart acknowledged UDOT’s responsibility to mitigate dust at staging and pavement recycling locations and said mitigation typically involves water‑spraying; he committed to provide specific mitigation practices and follow up with city staff after the meeting.

Mountain View Corridor is in design; UDOT will use a design‑bid‑build delivery method there, Stewart said. He described the corridor as a multi‑phase project that will include one‑way frontage road systems and frequent slip ramps — a system he compared to those seen in Texas — and that the project is currently funded at about $490 million while preliminary estimates for the highlighted segment exceed $1 billion. Stewart said UDOT’s phasing will be driven by minimizing public impacts, not simply by geographic order, and noted future widening would be accomplished by leveraging existing right‑of‑way and bridge design that anticipates additional lanes.

Stewart also briefed council on a U‑111 realignment project outside Riverton that will tie into 126 South. He said a 2022 legislative bill requires UDOT to seek a transfer of 126 South to local jurisdiction once the western disconnection is built. If the jurisdictional transfer occurs, Riverton would assume maintenance responsibilities (snow removal, ongoing pavement care) for the portion inside the city limits and UDOT staff cautioned that the city should anticipate a financial contribution for ongoing maintenance when/if a transfer occurs.

On trails, Stewart described the Welby Jacobs Canal trail design work and the city’s plan to build the northern piece from 126 South to about 132 South while UDOT designs the remainder and the pedestrian bridge over 13400 South. He said the bridge design changed to a wider 12‑foot bridge and that some previously‑placed bridge sections will be salvaged and relocated. Stewart also discussed the potential need for grade separation for trails and the possibility an underpass, rather than an overpass, may suit certain crossings.

Council members asked UDOT to (1) provide details on dust‑control measures; (2) coordinate detour signing and business access messages to protect local businesses; (3) provide cost estimates or early indicators of maintenance obligations tied to a future jurisdictional transfer; and (4) continue working with Riverton staff on neighborhood access solutions such as extending Bobcat Drive or building a right‑in/right‑out at Western Hills Drive to limit unintended cut‑through traffic. Stewart said UDOT will continue coordination and return specifics to city staff for public messaging.

Why it matters: The projects described by UDOT are multimillion‑dollar regional investments that will change travel patterns and local traffic flows for Riverton residents during construction and afterward. The city will assume major maintenance responsibility if and when the 126 South jurisdictional transfer occurs, a possible multi‑year budget implication that city staff said had not been planned in the five‑year capital forecast.

What’s next: UDOT staff said they will meet with city communications staff, return detailed dust mitigation and detour plans, and continue coordination on the Bobcat Drive/Main Street access options. UDOT and city staff will provide timing and public outreach materials before the mid‑February closure window for the sewer relocation.