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[Kniwt]

St. George News reports that UDOT has started a study on a possible new interchange at I-15 and 700 South in St. George (approx. MP 7).

Edit to add: That would mean St. George-Washington would have exits 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 (new), 8, 10, 12 (Washington Main St., in study), and 13. A lot of closely spaced exits!

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2022/04/18/prc-public-comment-sought-on-possible-addition-of-interchange-at-i-15-and-700-south-in-st-george/

Area residents have the opportunity to be heard on the subject of a potential new interchange at Interstate 15 and 700 South to “improve regional mobility in the St. George area,” according to a news release from the Utah Department of Transportation.

The public is invited to attend a public scoping meeting to share feedback about their transportation needs in this area, ask questions and learn more about the process and timeline, the news release said.

UDOT project website: https://udotinput.utah.gov/i15stgeorge

[thenetwork]

^^ I didn't realize St. George has ballooned in population so quickly -- from about 70,000 in 2010 to about 93,000 in 2020.  What is the fascination with St. George of late?  I know they have mild winters, you are a short drive to a wide variety of terrains/climates,... and it's not too far a trip to Vegas either.

[Kniwt]

^^ I didn't realize St. George has ballooned in population so quickly -- from about 70,000 in 2010 to about 93,000 in 2020.  What is the fascination with St. George of late?  I know they have mild winters, you are a short drive to a wide variety of terrains/climates,... and it's not too far a trip to Vegas either.

It's more than that; adjacent Washington City, Santa Clara, and Ivins are also booming (as is the Hurricane area just to the east), and the metro is on the cusp of passing 200,000. (Latest U.S. Census lists it as the fastest-growing metro in the whole nation, +5.1% just last year alone.)

There are lots of reasons why the area is booming, some of which veer into the type of political discussion we shouldn't be having here. The big attraction used to be cheap housing, but that's long gone with $500k and above now the rule rather than the exception, and many rents more than doubling in recent years.

There's abundant land (but not-so-abundant water) and extremely developer-friendly local governments.

It's sort of like Las Vegas without what some consider the "bad" parts (depending on your definition of "bad") plus greater Salt Lake City without "bad" parts either, be they weather, traffic, crime, politics, or something else.

The most strange thing: Since St. George was always so tiny, there's essentially no local TV market at all, and it's considered part of the Salt Lake City market. All the "local" major network TV is from SLC, 300 miles away. (Las Vegas, though much closer, is a different Nielsen market completely.) And on the SLC "local" news, the weather forecasts often give St. George before they give SLC.

Edit to add:  But RMcN still gives St. George the tiniest of city insets that doesn't even cover the city, let alone the "suburbs."

[US 89]

Edit to add:  But RMcN still gives St. George the tiniest of city insets that doesn't even cover the city, let alone the "suburbs."

Unfortunately, Utah is generally not on a list of places national-level decision makers (including mapmakers) care all that much about, especially outside of the Wasatch Front. To some extent that even extends to UDOT, as evidenced by the lack of a full six-lane between SR-7 and SR-9.

The growth of St George is absolutely nuts, though. I've commented before that every time I go down there I'm amazed by how much bigger it feels. And I used to go there every couple years. I haven't made it that far down since around 2016 or 17, so I'm prepared for a huge shock to the system if/when I do find myself there again.

[Kniwt]

I haven't made it that far down since around 2016 or 17, so I'm prepared for a huge shock to the system if/when I do find myself there again.

I'll spoil your surprise just a wee bit with these photos of the SE side of town: (taken from the airport general-aviation access road)
That's the new LDS temple -- the city's second -- in the distance in the upper center of the 2022 photo.

[US 89]

Ah yes, two temples is always the mark of a true major Utah city... 

Consider my mind blown. The airport is supposed to still be in the middle of absolute nowhere.

[US 89]

It would appear that UDOT has in fact used Clearview font beyond the Legacy Parkway:



That hospital sign sure looks like Clearview to me. There are a few others just like it along 186 in the area; poking around on street view, it looks like they went up somewhere in the 2015-2017 time frame.

Also worth noting that "University Childrens" actually refers to two separate hospitals, the University of Utah and Primary Children's. Sign design could maybe be worked on some.

[jakeroot]

That hospital sign sure looks like Clearview to me.

Me too.

Interestingly, one of the only Clearview signs to ever appear on a Washington State freeway was also a VA Hospital-related sign: https://goo.gl/maps/8gfu8u1nuRLF53At9

[Kniwt]

St. George News reports that UDOT has started a study on a possible new interchange at I-15 and 700 South in St. George (approx. MP 7).

UDOT held its first public meeting on this interchange, and the high volume of comments has led UDOT to schedule another public meeting this summer. St. George News reports:
https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2022/07/03/mgk-volume-of-comments-on-proposed-700-south-interchange-leads-udot-to-plan-additional-public-meeting/

The St. George City Council was given an update on the status of the proposed 700 South interchange project Thursday from the Utah Department of Transportation. Due the number of public comments received on the project, UDOT officials announced an additional public input meeting would be held over the summer.

... Ryan Anderson, a project manager for UDOT, told the council that they had received nearly 250 comments from residents and others living and working in the project’s study area. The number is amongst the highest they’ve ever received for such a project, he said.

... According to the project’s original timeline, the environment assessment, which will include alternatives for the interchange and surrounding area, was anticipated to be released later this year. However, due to the volume of comments and the issues and alternatives that accompanied them, the process is being pushed back three to four months.

UDOT project website: https://udotinput.utah.gov/i15stgeorge

[US 89]

Now that the state prison is finally moving to the new site west of the airport, the state is planning to redevelop much of the land the current prison occupies in Draper in a project called The Point, which looks like it's going to be a huge mixed-use development. Naturally, the site is filled with flowery planner language, but these images looked most interesting:




The big road network item here is a connection between existing Porter Rockwell Blvd at 14600 South and 600 West at Bangerter exit 1. I suspect this will wind up as a northward extension of SR 131, especially since all the signs for exit 1 on Bangerter currently have a big blank space where a state route shield would presumably fit. (A similar thing was done with SR 135 in Pleasant Grove - the signs went up before the route existed, so they had that blank space for several years before the shields went in.) I'd have to imagine 140 will get cut back to Porter Rockwell at the same time with a 131 extension, which would be an improvement over the random western terminus at 800 West that it has now.

As for SR 287, which serves the current prison...that's going to have to be deleted, but I wonder if the number will be moved to the road into the new prison site. There is precedent for this - the last time the prison moved back in the 1950s, SR 187 was the prison access road, and it was moved along with the prison from Sugar House to Draper.

[Rothman]

Heh...Porter Rockwell...

[jakeroot]

Not enough SPUIs!

[US 89]

Not enough SPUIs!

Don’t worry, there are two more just off the edges of that first image

[Kniwt]

UDOT has installed dust-storm warning signals and signs ("VISIBILITY REDUCED WHEN FLASHING") on UT 7 between MPs 18 and 21 around the south shore of Sand Hollow Reservoir. They are, I believe, the first such signs in the area.

[Kniwt]

Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune has written a surprisingly deep dive (for mainstream media) into the AADTs for I-15 around the area.
https://www.sltrib.com/news/2022/07/25/where-is-i-15-busiest-what-time/

... And, admittedly, a selfish thought crosses my mind: Could I have avoided this traffic?

I finally decided to find out. There’s so much traffic data out there compiled by the Utah Department of Transportation that it can be overwhelming. But I wanted to analyze the place where I – and probably you – most frequently get caught in a traffic jam: on Interstate 15 in Salt Lake County.

... As you’d expect, different parts of I-15 have more traffic than others. The impact of various on-ramps and off-ramps, freeway interchanges, and population centers means traffic is more likely in certain spots.

But, of course, it also depends on which direction you’re traveling. Take a look at the graph below, which represents average daily northbound-traveling traffic during 2022. At the bottom of the graph is each mile marker of I-15 within Salt Lake County at which UDOT measures traffic, and then we’ve annotated some important interchanges along the way.

[Kniwt]

In Hurricane, work has started to extend the east (north) end of SR 7 from SR 9 to 600 North, likely as a city street, over new terrain.

[Plutonic Panda]

I gotta say, heading SB on I-15 onto EB SR-9 to get to rush Texaco station was the most disorienting series of traffic movements I’ve ever made in a car. I felt like I was drunk by the time I got out of my car to pump gas. Anyone know what’s planned for that large vacant lot to the NW of Texaco?

[US 89]

It looks like we have a new state highway: the road to the new prison west of the airport is now SR 283, according to the online highway reference.

SR 283
Main Line
0 — 3.65
From the Eastbound On and Off Ramps at I-80 7200 West Interchange northerly via 7200 West; then westerly via North Frontage Road; then northerly via 8000 West; then westerly via 1400 North to the entrance of the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake County.

[Rover_0]

Take it for what it’s worth, but after visiting family over New Year’s weekend, I’ve heard that UDOT and Kane County could be looking to make a transfer of the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Road–which runs between the Arizona state line north to US-89 near Mt. Carmel—from county to state jurisdiction.

A couple details that I’ve heard is that the Hancock Road (a more east-west cutoff to 89 closer to Kanab) will not be part of the transfer, and that traffic cameras will be installed at the state line and at the Sand Dunes Rd/Hancock Rd intersection.

Not saying that this will definitely happen or that it is imminent, but I feel that I’d put this on here. IMO it makes sense for drivers between Orderville/Glendale/Alton and Hurricane/St. George who don’t want to put up with the traffic through Zion NP. While AzDOT doesn’t seem to be looking to take over maintenance of the Arizona side (AKA the Cane Beds Rd.), the road is all paved from AZ-389 to US-89.

[US 89]

Even if it's all paved, it doesn't exactly look state highway quality (example GSVs). I can't really see UDOT just picking 20 miles of very rural road and then spending a bunch of money to improve it. My bet is if this is to go through, Kane County is going to either have to improve the road themselves or give UDOT a significant amount of money to make those improvements.

Also, the connection to US 89 at the north end is weird. I wonder if the state would just take over the north leg or if they'd take both.

[Kniwt]

Even if it's all paved, it doesn't exactly look state highway quality

I bicycled that road last summer on a ride from Colorado City to the park and back. It's definitely nowhere near state quality; there were several gravel washouts that appeared to be long-term. Cane Beds Road, the connector in Arizona to AZ 389 / UT 59, is marginally better but still nowhere near, say, AZ 389 in quality.

(Then again, the single-digit traffic counts made it quite nice. I can't imagine either road with any significant amount of tourist or long-haul traffic.)

[US 89]

It looks like UDOT is studying some potential upgrades in the Kimball Junction area, including the I-80/SR 224 interchange and the first half-mile or so of 224 south of there. So far, they've come up with 3 proposed alternatives:







Alternative B would be fascinating as UDOT has never done a trench-and-cover before. Those 2 lights on 224 are a mess. I'd also love to see some improvements to that SPUI that allow it to function better especially during ski season - good luck ever getting through that thing on a winter or spring Saturday morning if it's snowed in the past week.

[US 89]

Per UDOT, the next stage of the Vineyard Connector (SR 176) will begin construction in a few weeks, as soon as utility line installation and relocation is done. This extension will bring the north (west) end of the road up to 1600 North, and it is projected to be done this fall.

Project website

[US 89]

Apparently UDOT is looking into "improvements" for the South Cedar interchange (exit 57, SR 130). This was just converted to a DDI not quite ten years ago, back in 2014.

https://www.udot.utah.gov/connect/2023/07/19/udot-evaluates-potential-changes-to-i-15-south-cedar-interchange/

No details yet on what they're thinking, but if the current DDI were to be scrapped for some other design, it would be the second DDI removed in Utah after I-15/SR 92 in Utah County.

[JKRhodes]

Apparently UDOT is looking into "improvements" for the South Cedar interchange (exit 57, SR 130). This was just converted to a DDI not quite ten years ago, back in 2014.

https://www.udot.utah.gov/connect/2023/07/19/udot-evaluates-potential-changes-to-i-15-south-cedar-interchange/

No details yet on what they're thinking, but if the current DDI were to be scrapped for some other design, it would be the second DDI removed in Utah after I-15/SR 92 in Utah County.

Something interesting, with multiple DDI revisions taking place in the state of Utah, I learned today and thought I should share with others who were out of the loop as I was. I admit I have to give UDOT credit for something I previously scoffed about:

Upon first read, I assumed South Cedar was constructed this way in 2014. I did not realize until I studied Goggle Earth's historical imagery that this was retrofit to an underpass that has been there for a very long time(at least 1993), of which which UDOT has been able to squeeze out an extra decade of service amid growing traffic.

Now I'm curious to know if SR 92's 2010s DDI was a retrofit to an old, tired underpass and a good enough solution at the time while a better solution was in the works/awaiting funding. Any insights on the background of that one?