If the West Davis Corridor does get built, it's going to be a few miles shorter than road officials first thought.
Thanks to a Weber County project recently added to the Wasatch Front Regional Council's long-range plan, the two alternatives for the West Davis Corridor currently being studied by the Utah Department of Transportation will stop at 5500 South in West Haven and 4000 South in Hooper, instead of extending through Weber County all the way to 12th Street as originally planned.
West Davis Project Manager Randy Jeffries said the WFRC has added a project that will widen 4700 West from 4000 South to 12th Street from two lanes to five.
The project is tentatively scheduled sometime between 2031 and 2040.
The project was originally intended to be part of the West Davis Corridor, but officials have decided the project should stand on its own.
"Right now it's a separate project completely," Jeffries said. "It's a separate course with its own schedule and funding."
As a result, many of the impacts within that four-mile stretch are no longer included in the West Davis study.
"There were various impacts associated with that portion," Jeffries said. "It has an effect on costs, homes, farmland, wetlands."
Along with other refinements made by UDOT, shortening the route has resulted in a lower projected cost and fewer residential impacts for the West Davis Corridor.
When UDOT unveiled its final three alternatives in February, the state expected the road to cost up to $525 million and result in up to 137 residential acquisitions.
With the new refinements, UDOT projects the road will cost between $439 million and $482 million, with 25 to 44 residential relocations.
UDOT hopes to complete a draft environmental impact statement before spring.
Once the EIS is complete, UDOT will submit the report to the Federal Highway Administration.
A final route decision is expected in 2013.
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