| The Utah Department of Transportation plans to start as many as seven highway improvement projects next year that will directly impact vehicle travel at locations in the Carbon County area. Motorists failing to comply with reduced speed limits and related traffic restrictions in construction zones face increased penalties. |
The Utah Department of Transportation is planning a number of highway improvement projects during next year that will located in Carbon County or will directly impact travel in the local area.
“We could have as many as seven projects going at once right in the Carbon County area,” pointed out Myron Lee, UDOT’s public involvement coordinator.
The improvement projects will include several large construction jobs.
One major project will involve widening U.S. Highway 6 between Price and Wellington to five lanes. It will take the department one season or nine months of construction time to finish the improvements and bidding for the actual project will begin in about a month. Contractors are just now wrapping up the utility relocation in the corridor.
The other large project involves construction of the Helper interchange on U.S. 6. The interchange will take approximately 15 months to complete and UDOT plans to begin the project late next winter.
Two bridges are also slated for replacement in the immediate area.
One structure is the bridge crossing the Price River on U.S. 6 between Helper and the Peerless port of entry.
The other is the bridge near the Sunnyside Junction where the expansion of the passing lane ended when the structure was built last year.
Both bridges will be rebuilt next summer.
In addition, new passing lanes will be constructed on U.S. 6 between mile markers 195 and 197, 226 and 228 as well as 259 and 262.
Some of the projects slated by the state transportation department will result in minimal delays for local motorists. Other highway improvements could cause major traffic delays and, with so many projects planned, Carbon County residents will need to allow an ample amount of time to reach destinations and travel accordingly.