US 89 upgrade marks milestone — fourth and final new interchange done
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- Officials from Layton and the Utah Department of Transportation on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, officially opened the new Antelope Drive interchange at U.S. 89, shown in this undated photo, looking south, before completion. The interchange received the improvement as part of the larger U.S. 89 upgrade through northern Davis County.
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- Utah Senate President Stuart Adams speaks at a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, to officially open the new Antelope Drive interchange at U.S. 89 in Layton. The interchange received the improvement as part of the larger U.S. 89 upgrade through northern Davis County.
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- Layton Mayor Joy Petro speaks at a ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, to officially open the new Antelope Drive interchange at U.S. 89 in Layton. The interchange received the improvement as part of the larger U.S. 89 upgrade through northern Davis County.
LAYTON — The ongoing upgrade of U.S. 89 through northern Davis County — a headache or white-knuckle experience at times for motorists maneuvering the impacted roadway section — has reached a milestone, roads officials say.
The fourth and final new interchange along the 9-mile section getting attention is complete and opened to traffic on Tuesday. That makes it easier for local traffic at the spot, where Antelope Drive intersects U.S. 89.
“I really want to express my appreciation for their patience,” said Layton Mayor Joy Petro, alluding to Layton residents who live in the area and have had to detour around the location while the interchange was completed.
Beyond that, the move to interchanges rather than stop lights along the roadway makes for smoother, safer, less start-and-stop traffic flow along U.S. 89. New interchanges were earlier completed as part of the project along 400 North in Fruit Heights and Oak Hills Drive and Gordon Avenue in Layton.
Safety along the highway “has been greatly improved by what UDOT’s done,” said Stuart Adams, the Utah Senate president and a Layton resident. He, Petro, Utah Department of Transportation Executive Director Carlos Braceras and others spoke at a press conference Tuesday to mark the opening of the Antelope Drive interchange.
Still, the $527 million project — which also calls for the widening of the increasingly busy roadway from two to three lanes in each direction between Farmington and Layton — isn’t yet complete. Prep work started in late 2019 and the project is expected to be done in late 2023, making for four years of work in all.
While completion of the four interchanges is a big step, two new bridges have yet to be finished at Nicholls Road in Fruit Heights and Crestwood Road in Layton. And before some of the new three-lane sections can be fully opened, they need another layer of asphalt on top of them, according to Mike Romero, the UDOT manager for the project.
What’s more, sign and sidewalk work, landscaping and striping work remains.
Nevertheless, UDOT reps and Layton-area officials offered an upbeat message on Tuesday as the project edges forward. Going on three years now, the massive upgrade has required the closure of the roadway at times between concrete barriers, plenty of detours and more.
Utah Rep. Stephen Handy, who represents Layton, noted the responsiveness of UDOT officials to neighbors’ questions, concerns and complaints as planning and construction has progressed. He noted the open houses and installation of sound walls along the new road section to address neighbors’ concerns about noise caused by traffic.
Original plans for the Antelope Drive bridge over U.S. 89 had called for an overpass that would have loomed higher in the sky, potentially creating an eyesore for residents on the east side of the highway. But Adams noted UDOT officials’ willingness to listen to concerns about the plans and their decision to remove dirt to lower U.S. 89 in the section so the bridge didn’t have to rise as high in the sky.
“I want to say because UDOT listened, because their consultants listened, because they were responsive to the citizens, we have a facility that is not only safe but is extremely functional,” Adams said.
Braceros also praised the efforts of locals to work with UDOT officials to deal with the varied issues that have popped up as the project has moved forward in a constructive way. That sort of cooperative spirit is “how you can make big things happen,” he said.
A new frontage road system was built parallel to U.S. 89 to improve access to adjacent neighborhoods and create a safer route for cyclists, UDOT said in a staterment. In addition, three new pedestrian tunnels were built under the highway to connect to potential trail expansions.