The Utah Department of Transportation has announced plans to construct a highway through part of Wasatch County’s North Fields. The future road is meant to help highway traffic “bypass” downtown Heber, to ease congestion in the valley and help the city create a more walkable and locals-friendly downtown.
At a Heber City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 3, councilmembers discussed a list of several concerns about the effects the bypass could have on downtown traffic. Most of the proposed changes pertain to the southwestern quadrant of the city.
The primary change leaders want UDOT to consider is shifting a section along 1300 South farther to the south, so fewer homes and businesses would be affected.
Leaders also want to see a connection to Southfield Road, easier access to the Walmart shopping center, more direct access to Utah Valley University’s Wasatch campus and several other changes.
For Councilmember Mike Johnston, safety for trail users is another issue. The draft environmental impact statement shows pedestrians and cyclists would need to take a half-mile detour to cross Midway Lane safely.
He said adding bike lanes could help improve safety for commuters.
“I would say the trail is really good for kids, and people jogging and walking, but I think bikes, at least, they could add in bike lanes as you flow west on Midway Lane,” he said.
A pedestrian overpass or underpass would also help with safety, leaders say.
City leaders also have concerns about the intersection of Southfield Road and Midway Lane, near the new high school opening this fall. Councilmembers will ask UDOT to consider realigning the Southfield Road intersection with a planned traffic light at 1000 West, so people can more easily go to Midway or access the bypass.
With a few revisions to the draft shared Tuesday, city staff will send the letter to UDOT for consideration.
UDOT will publish its final environmental impact statement this summer.
Meanwhile, Wasatch County manager Dustin Grabau said county leaders are considering drafting their own letter to UDOT.
“We have a similar number of concerns, and some of them overlap with Heber City – things we would like to see addressed in the final version of the EIS,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” Feb. 3.
The Wasatch County Council will discuss its recommendations for UDOT at a work session Feb. 11.
Heber City is a financial supporter of KPCW.
