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[US 89]

As anyone who drives in Salt Lake City with any regularity knows, Bangerter Highway (SR-154) is constantly under construction. There’s enough going on with it that I figured it needed its own thread.

First, some background: it was built in the 1980-1990s, but for whatever reason they didn’t want to build it as a freeway to begin with. So they built it as an expressway with at-grade intersections at major cross streets. Then when those intersections got very busy and dangerous, they turned a bunch of them into CFIs.

Then a few years ago, they finally decided to start converting the at-grade intersections into interchanges. The first to be completed was 7800 South (SR-48), in 2012. In 2015 Redwood Road/SR-68 was completed as well. The following year, a new interchange was built at 600 West, and the existing 200 West intersection was converted to RIRO-only.

The latest set of projects involves four new interchanges:
-5400 South
-7000 South
-9000 South
-11400 South

The 7000 South interchange is complete for the most part, and the other three are planned to be done by this fall.

Environmental studies are also being carried out for interchanges at:
-6200 South
-10400 South

As it turns out, there’s now a plan to upgrade all of the intersections between SR-201 and I-15:



Unfortunately, it appears UDOT has no plans as of yet to upgrade Bangerter north of Parkway Blvd, nor is there a plan to upgrade the junctions with SR-201 and I-15 into full system interchanges.

[BigManFromAFRICA88]

Honestly, I don't think the people planning Bangerter expected such a large boom in population to the west, even though it was arguably starting during the build. Traffic demands are now such that I think Bangerter should be a full freeway from the airport to I-15, as well as being as efficient as possible in getting the MVC done and maybe studying an east-west freeway somewhere between 7800 South and 11400 South. The latter should take away a lot of demand on surface streets from Sandy to the Jordans and futher westward...

[Rothman]

I still don't understand how there can be enough water to support the western growth towards the desert.

[i-215]

I still don't understand how there can be enough water to support the western growth towards the desert.

Utah isn't running out of water, per se.  We're just running out of cheap water. 

The Wasatch Front is a highland prairie (not a desert), and it's a semi-arid climate, not an arid one.  Combined with significantly lower summertime temperatures, and I think the typical Vegas-like comparison water advocates make is not really a fair one.  That being said, it would be nice to see developers install smaller front lawns, and use native drought-tolerant grasses.  There's no point planting Kentucky Bluegrass in this state, yet everybody seems to like to.

[US 89]

I still don't understand how there can be enough water to support the western growth towards the desert.

Utah isn't running out of water, per se.  We're just running out of cheap water. 

The Wasatch Front is a highland prairie (not a desert), and it's a semi-arid climate, not an arid one.  Combined with significantly lower summertime temperatures, and I think the typical Vegas-like comparison water advocates make is not really a fair one.  That being said, it would be nice to see developers install smaller front lawns, and use native drought-tolerant grasses.  There's no point planting Kentucky Bluegrass in this state, yet everybody seems to like to.

Salt Lake City gets 16 inches of rain a year on average, and most definitions of "desert" require less than 10 inches. It's worth noting that according to the Koppen climate classification system (the most common system that climatologists use, according to Wikipedia), Salt Lake City actually has too much rain to be classified as even semi-arid. They put Salt Lake in the hot-summer humid continental climate zone, which is the same zone as Chicago. That goes for the entire Wasatch Front, as well as the Cache and Tooele valleys.

The "west desert" refers to anything west of Tooele. Those areas get significantly less rain and are much more semi-arid to arid, although the urban area isn't going to expand in that direction any time soon.

[Rothman]

Had a farmer friend from Wyoming that called Eastern farmers lazy because they could rely upon rain.  I told him planting where it doesn't rain just sounded stupid.

[i-215]

Salt Lake City actually has too much rain to be classified as even semi-arid. They put Salt Lake in the hot-summer humid continental climate zone, which is the same zone as Chicago.

That's interesting.  I didn't know that.

That being said, I'd take an 86 degree day in SLC over one in Chicago!  Holy cow that city gets muggy in the summertime.

[US 89]

From the UDOT Blog:

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) announced today that major construction is now complete on four new interchanges along Bangerter Highway, and a project to build the next three interchanges at 6200 South, 10400 South, and 12600 South, will begin in 2020.

All lanes and ramps have now opened at the interchanges on Bangerter Highway at 5400 South, 7000 South, 9000 South, and 11400 South. Occasional short-term lane closures are expected during non-commute hours for the next several weeks as crews work to complete landscaping, striping, and other small details at the new interchanges.

The project to build these four interchanges is part of an ongoing effort to improve traffic on Bangerter Highway and meet the growing transportation needs of western Salt Lake County. UDOT has now replaced stoplights on Bangerter Highway with freeway-style interchanges, including on- and off-ramps, at seven locations (interchanges at 600 West, Redwood Road, and 7800 South were completed prior to this project).
 
To continue this effort, UDOT today announced that work to build new interchanges at 6200 South, 10400 South, and 12600 South will start in 2020. Previously, the interchanges at 10400 South and 12600 South were scheduled for construction beginning in 2022, but funds were transferred from other projects to complete these interchanges sooner.

In 2019, crews will relocate a section of the Jordan Aqueduct near 6200 South from under Bangerter Highway to west of the highway, prior to the start of major construction on the interchange itself. A similar relocation was completed near 5400 South in 2016.

During construction of the four interchanges, UDOT crews:

Worked nearly 290,000 man-hours
Placed 16 miles of concrete safety barrier and 10 miles of drainage pipe
Excavated or placed 2.2 million tons of dirt
Built seven new bridges and a new pedestrian overpass
Reduced planned full closures of Bangerter Highway by 75 percent (the project had planned to use up to 24 full closures, but only needed six)

This also means four new numbered exits from Bangerter: 11400 South is Exit 8, 9000 South is Exit 11, and 7000 South is Exit 14. I haven’t been able to find confirmation for 5400 South, but I’m placing my bet on 16.

[MCRoads]

I’m sure if I lived in salt lake I wouldn’t be saying this, but...
NOO!! NOT 4100!!! It’s likr the only full CFI in existence!!!!

[BigManFromAFRICA88]

I'm gonna have to find some time to drive all of these. I like the 114th South interchange the most, just looks so clean and compact, with unique, separate mast arms for the SPUI (which I've seen all the time in Las Vegas but never in SLC).

[US 89]

Agreed on the 114th South interchange. I finally drove this today, and observed all the new exit numbers and such. Bangerter is really starting to feel like a freeway, especially since they've started to install the center mileage distance signs (or whatever they're called). To my knowledge, these are the first in the state not on I-15 or I-215. I thought the "signal" label was kinda cool:





In addition, the segment from 2700 West to I-15 now has signage on the mainline explicitly calling it a freeway:

I’m sure if I lived in salt lake I wouldn’t be saying this, but...
NOO!! NOT 4100!!! It’s likr the only full CFI in existence!!!!

The good news for you is that the 4100 South interchange is quite low on the priority list, and I'd bet it sticks around in its current form for at least 10 more years.

[i-215]

Bangerter is really starting to feel like a freeway, especially since they've started to install the center mileage distance signs (or whatever they're called). To my knowledge, these are the first in the state not on I-15 or I-215.

The 201 freeway has one between Bangerter and 5600 West.

[US 89]

An interesting update on the timeline for future interchange upgrades:



They're combining some of the interchange upgrades into the same project priority, which makes sense. However, the most interesting part is that it looks like the entire thing from 41st South northward could be done all in one go.

The map above also shows a proposed upgrade at SR-201, and I'd be curious to see what that entails. I'd love to see Bangerter/201 become a full system interchange of some kind, but ROW acquisition is not going to be easy. Honestly the poor planning of Bangerter's interchanges with 201 and I-15 might be one of UDOT's biggest mistakes in the past 30 years.

[nexus73]

Looks like it will be time to bring back I-415 for the Bangerter once the freeway improvements are completed. 

Rick

[The Ghostbuster]

What's wrong with keeping it State Highway 154? Does every highway have to be an Interstate? Perhaps State Highway 85, State Highway 67, or the US 89 conversion to full freeway standards between Interstate 15 and Interstate 84 would be better places to place the Interstate 415 designation (personally, I think all three should keep their existing designations)?

[JKRhodes]

Agreed on the 114th South interchange. I finally drove this today, and observed all the new exit numbers and such. Bangerter is really starting to feel like a freeway, especially since they've started to install the center mileage distance signs (or whatever they're called). To my knowledge, these are the first in the state not on I-15 or I-215. I thought the "signal" label was kinda cool:

From experience, those supplemental signal plaques were handy. I worked in West Valley and lived in Midvale for a short time and often tried different routes home when the freeways were jammed. It was nice to know whether or not I needed to be in the right lane or the left in order to go east off Bangerter.

[andy3175]

More construction activity for Utah 154 Bangerter Highway with a closure at 10400 South for interchange construction.

https://kjzz.com/news/local/expect-delays-along-bangerter-highway-once-another-interchange-project-begins-soon

Starting May 1, 10400 South will not allow east-west traffic at Bangerter Highway, while an overpass is constructed to keep highway traffic moving. That closure will last until November.

Add that to projects along Bangerter at 6200 South and 12600 South, which also aim to bypass street-level traffic lights with freeway-style interchanges. ...

Lisa Miller, Utah Department of Transportation’s traveler information manager, said the timing is based on construction season and when lawmakers approve the funding.

“We try not to have any consecutive interchanges under construction all at once,”  she said, “which is why we’ve already done 114th South and now we’re just moving from that area.”  

UDOT has a webpage dedicated to construction progress on Utah 154 Bangerter Highway at http://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter/.

As one of our valley’s largest north-south corridors, Bangerter Highway moves an average of 58,000 vehicles per day. With continued growth on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley, that number is expected to double by 2040 and without major improvements, delays will increase by four times over the next twenty-five years.
 
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is making major improvements at various intersections along Bangerter Highway to reduce travel times and congestion, connect communities, and improve overall safety along the corridor. Bangerter operated using a series of traffic signals at a majority of its intersections, causing significant congestion in recent years. This congestion also exists for cross traffic moving east-west. To meet the current and future needs of drivers and the nearby communities, UDOT is replacing traditional intersections with grade-separated interchanges. Grade-separated interchanges allow one street to pass over the other. This separation allows Bangerter to free flow and the cross street to flow more efficiently. By removing traffic signals and creating fewer interruptions, traffic will move more freely and at speeds that are more consistent in all directions.

SM-G975U

[andy3175]

Community meetings are forthcoming later this month to evaluate 3 more interchange conversions.

Under construction:
6200 S, 10400 S, and 12600 S

Proposed for new interchanges:
4700 S, 9800 S, and 13400 S

Under consideration for improvement:
2700 W, 4100 S, and California Avenue

https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/udot-evaluating-freeway-style-interchanges-along-bangerter-highway

Official UDOT webpages on the projects and studies:

https://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter2700west

https://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter4100south

https://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter4700south

https://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter9800south

https://www.udot.utah.gov/bangerter13400south

https://www.udot.utah.gov/bangertercalifornia/

SM-G975U

[US 89]

From UDOT's blog: UDOT Seeks Public Input On Proposed Bangerter Highway Interchanges

UDOT invites the public to participate in public hearings for proposed changes to three intersections on Bangerter Highway at 13400 South, 9800 South, and 4700 South. UDOT recently released draft environmental studies for proposed freeway-style interchanges at these three locations, and encourages the public to review these studies and provide input to the project team through formal comments.

Since 2012, UDOT has worked to remove stoplights from intersections on Bangerter Highway and convert the highway into a freeway. So far 10 intersections have had stoplights removed, and seven freeway-style interchanges have been completed. Interchanges at 6200 South, 10400 South and 12600 South will be completed this year.

The studies are being conducted to evaluate environmental impacts associated with the potential new interchanges, with the goal of minimizing these impacts while meeting local and regional transportation needs.

“UDOT is accelerating the completion of Bangerter Highway to improve safety and traffic flow along this critical connection,”  UDOT Project Manager Brian Allen said. “When the conversion to a freeway is complete and traffic can flow freely without stoplights, we expect to see a significant reduction in crashes and drive times, both on Bangerter Highway and on cross-streets.”

After the studies are finalized and a preferred interchange design is adopted in spring 2022, UDOT plans to move forward with design and construction at 13400 South, 9800 South and 4700 South as early as spring 2023. Additionally, environmental studies are underway and will be completed over the next year at the remaining at-grade Bangerter intersections, with plans to begin construction in 2028:

4100 South in West Valley City
3500 South to State Route 201 in West Valley City/Salt Lake City
California Avenue in Salt Lake City
2700 West in Bluffdale/Riverton (not yet funded for construction)

According to UDOT traffic projections, when the Bangerter Highway freeway conversion is complete and all intersections have their stoplights removed, the time it takes to drive on Bangerter from I-15 in Draper to the Salt Lake airport will be reduced by up to 20 minutes.

So it looks like once the current three (62nd, 104th, 126th) and next three (47th, 98th, 134th) interchange projects are completed, the plan is to upgrade the whole thing from 41st South to California in one go. I will be fascinated to see what they come up with for that section as it is quite a bit more dense than the rest of the highway, so it will be considerably less straightforward to upgrade. Existing traffic lights on that part are spaced less than a half mile apart in some areas. Even now the speed limit on that part is 50 mph, while the rest of the highway is 55 or 60 with a mile or more between interchanges.

I also hope they can pull off something decent at the 201 interchange. There probably isn't enough room for a full stack or freeway system interchange, but the DDI that's there now sucks.

[i-215]

A few years ago, I found a consulting firm's PDF to UDOT which discussed draft ideas from 4100 South to California Avenue.

Spacing between signals makes putting in a sequence of SPUIs very difficult.  The consulting firm was proposing elevating "bypass bridges" on the outside with the center lanes going through the signals at grade.  Perhaps something like that could happen at SR-201.  A more conventional DDI or SPUI connects interchanging vehicles, while the through traffic carries on a bypass third level bridge.

[US 89]

A few years ago, I found a consulting firm's PDF to UDOT which discussed draft ideas from 4100 South to California Avenue.

Spacing between signals makes putting in a sequence of SPUIs very difficult.  The consulting firm was proposing elevating "bypass bridges" on the outside with the center lanes going through the signals at grade.  Perhaps something like that could happen at SR-201.  A more conventional DDI or SPUI connects interchanging vehicles, while the through traffic carries on a bypass third level bridge.

I believe that 3-level SPUI is the current short-mid range plan for the I-84/US 89 interchange, so the concept is definitely on UDOT's radar. I'm not a huge fan of it, especially up there where there is more room, but ROW is so limited along Bangerter that I'd take anything over what we have now.

That said, the project is listed in UDOT's 2021 TIF as "Multiple Bangerter Interchanges & One Way Frontage Roads from SR-201 to 4100 South and California Ave Int." with this slide, suggesting some sort of Texas style frontage road system may be considered with a volleyball interchange at 201:

[i-215]

Oh wow!  That's it.       Nice job.

Where did you find that?  The TIF for me is just an excel spreadsheet as a PDF.

[US 89]

Where did you find that?  The TIF for me is just an excel spreadsheet as a PDF.

https://maps.udot.utah.gov/wadocuments/Apps/STIPApplication/data/TIFProposed.pdf

[i-215]

That's great.  Thank you!

[Plutonic Panda]

What’s up with UDOT’s hesitance to build direct connect ramps? It seems like this is growing trend of placing high capacity DDI or SPUI interchanges on what should be free flowing stacks.