| Crews busily pave Highway 6 between Price and Wellington on Tuesday morning. Some sections are nearing completion. |
While the Utah Department of Transportation tries to accommodate those traveling through construction zones as much as possible, there will always be delays and restricted travel in some areas, even on holiday weekends. This Labor Day will be no exception.
“Most of the contracts we have with constructors limit construction going on during three day weekends,” said Myron Lee, spokesman for UDOT’s region four. “This weekend most of the sites will not be working, but there will be places where the work that has been done will restrict traffic.”
One of those places in Carbon County will be on Highway 6, near the eastern boundary of Wellington. While much of the road between Price and Wellington is paved and looking close to completion, a section about a half mile long is still in gravel and very restricted.
“We are trying on all our projects to wrap them up before our paving deadline comes up,” said Lee. “That is generally Oct. 15, but in some of the mountain areas that date is earlier because of the temperature changes and the weather.”
But as Lee explained, all construction schedules are subject to change due to inclement weather conditions, equipment problems or emergency situations.
In the local area these various projects are going on and will affect traffic over the long weekend.
•U.S. 6 from Price to Wellington Project includes widening of U.S. 6 from two lanes to four. Crews are currently placing culverts, excavating the roadway bed and paving the shoulders. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction with occasional lane closures as directed by flaggers. Motorists should watch for workers and equipment in the area and expect occasional delays for truck crossings. The expected completion date is sometime next Spring.
•The Peerless Port of Entry Bridge north of Helper is a bridge rehabilitation project. Traffic is reduced to one narrow lane in each direction with a reduced speed limit of 40-mph and some closures between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Motorists should expect moderate delays in this project area. Completion of the project is expected later this month.
•U.S. Highway 6 from milepost 258 to 261. This is a passing lane addition project. Crews are currently working on the shoulder areas of the road with one lane of traffic open in each direction with minimum delays. This projects completion date is sometime next summer, but crews will not be working on it during the winter months.
•U.S. Highway 6 from milepost 226 to 228. This is another passing lane project. Crews are currently working on the shoulder areas of the road with one lane of traffic open in each direction with minimum delays. This projects completion date is sometime next summer, but crews will not be working on it during the winter months.
There will also be a project in Emery County that could affect local residents travel as well.
•S.R. 10 from milepost 10 to 20. This project includes a 4-inch pavement overlay on 10 miles of S.R. 10, a chip seal coat, and guardrail installation in various areas. Crews are currently paving the project. Traffic is reduced to one lane in alternating directions as directed by flaggers and pilot cars. Motorists should expect moderate delays with wait times of up to 15 minutes. The expected completion is in October 2004 with a chip seal coat next spring.
In Grand County the U.S. 191 through Moab Canyon Project includes construction of two new lanes adjacent to the existing road to create a four-lane divided section from Moab to the S.R. 313 Junction. Crews are currently building a bridge on the north end of the project and paving. Traffic is restricted to one lane in each direction with occasional delays for heavy equipment to cross the highway as directed by flaggers. Motorists should watch for work crews in the area. This work is expected to be done this month.
“We apologize for any delays and problems this causes over the holiday, but unfortunately there is no way to avoid it during construction projects,” said Lee. “We just ask drivers to be patient, courteous and bear with us.”