Representatives from the Wasatch County, Heber City and Midway City councils and the Wasatch County School District held an interlocal meeting Wednesday evening, July 10, to discuss issues that affect the whole Heber Valley.
Top of mind was what the group now calls the “Heber Valley corridor,” popularly known as the bypass.
It’s a road intended to draw highway traffic away from the heart of Heber’s downtown. Leaders currently hope to finish construction in time for the anticipated 2034 Olympic Games. But to begin construction, they need the Utah Department of Transportation to announce its preferred route.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Heber City Councilmember Yvonne Barney read aloud a draft of a letter to UDOT, asserting the willingness of local agencies to collaborate so the valley can build the road.
“We write in support of UDOT’s EIS process for the Heber Valley corridor,” she said. “We are unified and committed to working with UDOT to achieve a functional corridor alignment.”
The letter outlines five priorities for the highway: preserving open space in the North Fields, preserving the beauty of the Heber Valley, reducing traffic, supporting the success of Heber’s downtown, and minimizing environmental impact.
Barney emphasized the importance of local entities working together and called the traffic issues a valley-wide problem.
“We can no longer go forward on this very critical conversation by pointing fingers at any one entity or any one group,” she said. “We have an opportunity to do this and to do it right, and the only way that we can do it right is by first sharing with UDOT what we want from this bypass, what we’re looking for.”
Barney said the group prefers the name “Heber Valley corridor” because she said the term “bypass” has been one of division and frustration in the community. The new name is meant to mark forward progress.
Wasatch County Councilmember Mark Nelson worried the letter might not have its intended effect, imagining how UDOT officials might read it.
“I would say to myself, I already know all of these five things because you told them to me a million times over the last year and a half,” he said. “And you’re saying that you support it, and here are five things that make that support almost impossible.”
Others in the room pushed back and said it’s vital to communicate to UDOT that the Heber Valley communities are on the same page.
“The nitty-gritty is going to get worked out… but step one is, we need to know that Wasatch is not going to throw Heber under the bus any more than Midway is,” Wasatch County Board of Education member Marianne Allen said. “Nobody’s throwing anybody under the bus. These are our common priorities, and we’re going to work from that.”
Wasatch County Council Chair Spencer Park suggested everyone take additional time to discuss the bypass in upcoming meetings. The group intends to have a final letter to share with UDOT by mid-August.
