Summit County, UDOT and Dakota Pacific review three SR‑224 alternatives; council asks for hybrid cost and timing analysis

UDOT and county consultants presented draft findings on three alternatives to ease congestion on State Route 224 on Tuesday, telling the Summit County Council that each option would materially reduce projected 2050 travel times but differ sharply in footprint, pedestrian impacts and cost.

Why it matters: SR‑224 is a seasonal and weekend bottleneck for commuters and resort traffic. The council signaled it wants a clearer recommendation on which elements to pursue — and a rapid follow‑up with UDOT — because funding programming windows and the length of the environmental review could affect when construction could begin.

UDOT Region 2 Director Robert Stewart said the project remains in the alternatives stage and cautioned the council not to expect immediate construction: "We haven't even got to a draft environmental impact statement," he said, adding that a draft is hoped for by year‑end but that the record of decision and funding decisions follow at a later date. He emphasized that money for construction is not yet identified and that funding decisions rest with the Utah Transportation Commission and statewide…