LAYTON -- The West Davis Corridor project is finally starting to take shape.
The project, which could extend Legacy Parkway north through Davis and Weber counties, officially kicked off in January as a vague idea of improving traffic congestion in the Top of Utah.
But the Utah Department of Transportation recently whittled its list of possible alternatives for the project from 46 to 14.
The 14 alternatives all run west of Interstate 15 from 12th Street in Ogden to Parrish Lane in Centerville -- an area in which UDOT expects the population to grow by 75¬ percent between now and 2040.
The 14 alternatives can be viewed in detail at the project's website, www.udot.utah.gov/westdavis/.
Incorporating new ideas suggested during three August open houses, UDOT officials analyzed the initial traffic data on the 46 preliminary alternatives and threw out all that didn't adequately reduce traffic delay and congestion or have enough capacity.
According to UDOT, the 14 alternatives selected will, on average, decrease the daily hours of traffic delay by 26 percent, cut the number of miles traveled in congestion by almost half and decrease the number of hours that motorists spend in their vehicles by 44 percent, as compared to what traffic would look like in 2040 if no action were taken.
"The main thing we looked at in this phase was, how would this impact traffic congestion," said WDC Project Manager Randy Jeffries.
As part of the screening process, project team officials have deemed that transit on its own will not be part of the project.
"The alternatives that only involved transit were thrown out," Jeffries said. "But that doesn't mean transit is thrown out completely. It could be used to supplement some of the other alternatives."
UDOT will now evaluate which of the 14 remaining alternatives best meet the transportation need in the region while minimizing community and environmental impacts.
"We'll be looking at how these alternatives will impact homes, neighborhoods, communities and the environment," Jeffries said.
Only the alternatives that meet those criteria will be advanced for final consideration.
Jeffries said UDOT will hold another round of open houses in February, narrowing the list of alternatives even further by presenting department recommendations.
UDOT will then begin to draft an Environmental Impact Statement, which will be followed by a public hearing process.
A final record of decision is expected by spring 2013.
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