When US 191 was extended through Utah, was there ever a plan to connect the western jog in NE Utah and straighten it?
I don't know if there was an original plan back in 1982 when US 191 was extended south into Utah along its current alignment. Possibly, if they build the more "direct" route through the Book Cliffs, US 191 could theoretically be moved onto that alignment, and the jog out to Price would be straightened. There's another thread here that discusses the potential for such a route to be built, generally connecting Moab and Vernal without having to go to Price:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12915.0
But I'm not sure if that was potential realignment part of the "master plan" for US 191 in Utah or not. For more on US 191 in Utah and Wyoming, see:
https://www.aaroads.com/west/us-191_ut.html
https://www.aaroads.com/west/us-191_wy.html