Summit County

UDOT excludes option to sink 224 below Ute, Olympic roads at Kimball Junction

KPCW | By Connor Thomas

Published February 26, 2024 at 5:11 PM MST

Cars queue on state Route 224 to leave Park City through Kimball Junction.

The Utah Department of Transportation has narrowed the options for fixing Kimball Junction traffic.

UDOT announced Feb. 26 the options for fixing Kimball Junction’s traffic problem have shrunk from three to two.

Previously, the state had entertained the idea of sinking state Route 224 below Ute Boulevard and Olympic Parkway, but that’s off the table now. UDOT will review what it’s called options A and C in more depth.

Alternative B sinks state Route 224 below Olympic and Ute boulevards. That may unclog the road, but UDOT estimates it's the most expensive option at $164 million. Alternatives A and C would cost $90 million and $35 million, respectively, UDOT said. They may also be built more quickly. — Alternative B (above) is no longer being considered for Kimball Junction. It would have sunk state Route 224 below Olympic and Ute. It was the most expensive option at $164 million. Alternatives A and C would cost $90 million and $35 million, respectively, UDOT said Jan. 25. They may also be built more quickly.

The agency said it used feedback from previous open houses and public comment periods to refine the alternatives.

“We have worked for over a year reviewing technical and traffic data, as well as feedback from the public and our agency partners to help us improve the proposed alternatives to minimize impacts to the surrounding environment and the Kimball Junction community,” UDOT Project Manager Becky Stromness said. “These refined alternatives are an important milestone in the process to find a transportation solution that will be of long-term benefit to this area.”

Alternative A involves a new split-diamond setup for the Interstate 80 overpass at state Route 224, plus bike and pedestrian improvements.

Councilmembers said Jan. 25 they like the idea of combining alternatives A and C. Alternative A (above) adds an early exit to eastbound Interstate 80, so traffic headed into western Kimball—where Dakota Pacific would develop—doesn't need to get on state Route 224 with traffic headed to Park City or east Kimball. — Summit County councilmembers said Jan. 25 they like the idea of combining alternatives A and C. Alternative A (above) adds an early exit to eastbound Interstate 80, so traffic headed into western Kimball—where Dakota Pacific would develop—doesn't need to get on state Route 224 with traffic headed to Park City or east Kimball.

Alternative C offers miscellaneous improvements to state Route 224 and is the cheapest option.

Councilmembers said Jan. 25 they like the idea of combining alternatives A and C. Alternative C (above) adds improvements to state Route 224 that alternative A does not. — Summit County councilmembers said Jan. 25 they like the idea of combining alternatives A and C. Alternative C (above) adds improvements to state Route 224 that alternative A does not.

Click here for higher definition images of all the Kimball Junction alternatives.

UDOT is on track to select the final option for Kimball Junction this year.

Dakota Pacific Real Estate, which is proposing hundreds of housing units nearby, told the Summit County Council last week it could phase in its development alongside UDOT’s improvements to state Route 224.

The developer and council have both said they hope to lobby the state to get Kimball Junction on the strategic transportation improvement program or “STIP,” a list of projects UDOT hopes to complete in the next six years.

Before that can happen, the agency needs to choose Alternative A or C. It’s now accepting public comment online, via email, voicemail, by post and text message through March 27.

A public hearing will be scheduled once the study team releases a draft analysis of the two options later this year.

Click here for more information.