UDOT: Grantsville growth will strain state roads; study recommends east–west connections, corridor agreements

Travis Hare, UDOT bridging areas program manager, told the Grantsville City Council on Oct. (date not specified) that a year‑long Tooele Valley connectivity study shows significant near‑ and long‑term pressure on state routes serving Grantsville and nearby communities.

“What we wanted to look at was ... what the state network can and can’t do and what needs to be done to help support that,” Hare said, describing the study’s purpose, data collection and recommended scenarios.

UDOT staff said they collected new traffic counts and installed permanent counters at several locations (including on SR‑138 and SR‑36) after finding older counts under‑reported current volumes. Staff ran travel‑demand models using locally reported growth assumptions and a baseline that included funded long‑range projects; the modeling showed Grantsville’s population rising from roughly 10,000 to about 30,000 by 2050 and a large increase in employment that shifts the area’s trip patterns.

The study projected higher delay across the network in 2032 and 2050, with modeled delay rising roughly 18 percent in the long‑term scenario. UDOT said those increases would be felt most acutely on SR‑138, SR‑36 and SR‑112 (Sheep Lane), which the model shows carrying heavy traffic even after planned improvements.

To reduce pressure on the state network, UDOT recommended a set of east–west connections and local network improvements, including extending Third Parkway to Durfee in Grantsville, extending 2000 North along the depot edge to SR‑36, and building 2400 North to Sheep Lane. The recommendations also assume Mid Valley Highway segments phased into the network where funding exists; Mid Valley segment 2 was not included in an early scenario because it lacked identified funding.

UDOT emphasized access management and corridor agreements as tools to preserve mobility on state routes. The agency proposed agreed‑upon signal locations—using roughly half‑mile spacing where possible—and corridor width definitions for SR‑138 (UDOT presented ranges of about 105–117 feet to include travel lanes, shoulders and pedestrian facilities) and similar widths for SR‑112 to maintain consistent cross‑section through the valley. Hare said corridor agreements are intended to limit frequent direct access to state routes and to align signal locations with local connectors.

Chris Potter, UDOT local government program engineer, was introduced as a contact for local governments seeking program guidance and funding options. UDOT staff said they will finalize an access‑management agreement being drafted with legal counsel and send the final report, maps of proposed signal sites and supporting materials to the city.

Council members asked whether Interstate 80 could absorb projected traffic from SR‑36 and other corridors. UDOT staff said additional widening and long‑range improvements on I‑80 would be needed and that periodic updates to the statewide long‑range plan and funding cycles determine phasing and timing of those improvements.

UDOT staff also described near‑term procurement and construction activity: several signal projects in the region are under construction or in procurement (nine region projects called out), but contractor availability and scheduling across the state affect when individual local projects can be built.

As next steps, UDOT requested that the city designate an approver (staff or the mayor) to sign the draft signal/access agreements and to adopt the agreed locations into the city’s transportation plan update. UDOT said it will distribute the report and presentation materials for the city’s review.

No formal policy decisions or ordinance adoptions were made at the meeting; the council moved to adjourn at the end of the presentation and the motion carried.