UDOT's painful short-term work will help move traffic in the coming days

ROY — Roy was once a sleepy Weber County community. An Albertsons. Ben Franklin Kraft Michaels was popular before it was a thing. The burger bar is still there and the exotic meat of the month might be yak or alligator. If you were a high school age kid, the burger bar on 1900 West was the place to be and you would stand in the corner waiting for your order because there was no seating inside.

Groth has contacted Roy. It's always been the gateway to Hill Air Force Base — Utah's second-largest employer, but with a west gate on 5600 South and an alternate route on 650 North, traffic eased the existing headache.

Today, those roads are almost completely blocked. Banks and fast food joints have been demolished. There are mounds of dirt in front of Lindquist's mortuary at 5600 South, and bushes, flowers and greenery had to be removed to facilitate the road widening.

“I don't know how many times you've traveled that road, but it's always crowded. So, like I said, it had to be done. It's unfortunate. They took our property, but they also took everyone else's house, and so whatever. We're not the only ones doing it,” said Bobby Lindquist. “The western part of Weber and Daviess County is not really developed. The infrastructure is not what it should be and is coming along slowly.”

As painful as the changes have been, Lindquist said the transportation agency has been responsive and informed.

The Utah Department of Transportation's estimated project cost is $238 million, which will allow Roy to move beyond its sleepy community status to meet the transportation demands.

The Utah Department of Transportation has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to salvage and use items from properties before they are demolished. Moving onto a structure slated for demolition is formally considered trespassing by UDOT. Official inspectors have also previously uncovered asbestos, lead and other hazardous materials that pose serious safety concerns.

Construction began in June 2023 and the project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.

For the latest construction results, sign up for project construction updates by emailing 5600south@utah.gov or travel project results can be found on the UDOT Transportation website, www.udot.utah.gov/traffic or by downloading the UDOT Traffic App.

Construction along the Wasatch Front

With Utah being the fastest growing state in the country, the Wasatch Front Regional Council is kept on its toes. There are construction projects from border to border. He spelled it out in his policy vision when it comes to council Transportation

As Utah continues to grow, the next big project is to widen I-15 from Davis County to Salt Lake County. Growth in the state is taking place on the streets — more townhouses and apartments.

Transport agencies are also involved in:

• $466 million Mountain View Corridor from Porter Rockwell Boulevard along 2,100 North in Lehi.
• $23.2 million to rehabilitate 20 bridges in Salt Lake County
• $117 million for San Juan County designed to make travel to several national monuments safer, smoother and more convenient

“We're looking for the next generation to live here and we have to coordinate and really look ahead to maintain our quality of life,” said Johnne Nardone, communications manager for the Wasatch Front Regional Council. “And right now, it feels a little thorny, it feels a little difficult, because there are so many changes. But if we don't plan and coordinate, we won't be able to enjoy the things we're enjoying now.”