The ongoing struggle to get around the valley, maneuvering the ever-changing construction patterns continues.
A recent I-15 lane split through Orem will affect traffic through Utah County for the next few months. The split spans three exits in Orem: 1600 North, 800 North and
Center Street. In order to use these three exits, drivers will need to stay in the right two lanes of the split. As usual, UDOT recommends caution and consideration when approaching these new traffic configurations, as last-second decisions in lane choice can lead to accidents.
Both eastbound and westbound traffic on University Parkway will be shifted to the north side of the road going through the intersection at Sandhill Road. This lane shift, that will provide room for construction of the pedestrian crossing that will travel underneath the intersection, will remain in place for several months. Eastbound traffic turning onto Sandhill Road will be reduced to one lane, but all other traffic lanes will be maintained, according to Leigh Dethman, public relations manager for the UDOT I-15 CORE project.
Drivers heading to Provo areas should also use consideration and planning, as the southbound access to Provo Center Street from I-15 will remain closed through
Nov. 19. Southbound traffic wanting access to Provo areas West of the freeway should use the University Parkway off-ramp and connect to Geneva Road. For Provo areas east of the freeway, use the southbound off-ramp near the Provo Mall at 1860 south and come up University Ave.
Next weekend, drivers and pedestrians near UVU will also be affected by traffic shifts in the intersection of University Parkway and Geneva Road, where crews will be paving new lanes. UDOT spokesperson Heather Barnum explained that all UDOT crews are trying to get as much asphalt paving in as they can while the weather still permits, but student traffic and UTA schedules are still taken into consideration.
“We try to do our major work on off-peak days so we don’t affect students as much,” Barnum said.
In addition to these areas of concern, UDOT shares the following “construction hot spots” with viewers on their website:
- October 18-25: Southbound I-15 in Provo Restricted to One Lane Nightly
- October 19-24: Spanish Fork Main Street Northbound Off-Ramp Closed Nightly
- Beginning October 19: Southbound I-15 in Lehi Restricted to Three Lanes
- October 20-22: Orem 1600 North Northbound Off-Ramp and 600 West Intersection Closed
- October 21-22: Southbound S.R. 75 Off-Ramp Closed Overnight
- October 21-24: American Fork 100 East Closed
- October 23-24: Southbound I-15 to U.S. 6 Ramp Closed Overnight
- Beginning October 24: Southbound Access to U.S. 6 and Spanish Fork Main Street Changed
By Jeff Jacobsen – Online Content Manager
Photos and images courtesy of UDOT
