The seemingly unending construction on I-15 has entered a new chapter with more exit closures in effect.
Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) construction crews reduced southbound I-15 in Orem to three lanes from the Lindon 200 South exit to University Parkway Sunday night. The lane restriction is due to continued concrete paving and is scheduled to last up to two weeks, a similar time frame as another section of I-15 in Orem.
The Orem 1600 North interchange was to remain closed through late September. However, as a result of speedy construction, the interchange has recently opened.
On a positive note, UDOT is planning on utilizing the night hours to do a majority of the work. This should minimize the traffic during the daytime and rush hours.
“By performing this work during overnight hours, we are able to significantly reduce traffic delays in the long term,” said I-15 CORE spokesperson Leigh Dethman in a recent press release.
Drivers are advised to use State Street and Geneva Road as alternate routes until the freeway construction is complete.
Many Utah drivers who use I-15 daily say they can’t ever recall not having some kind of major construction project on this highway.
“I understand why, but I still hate it,” said Matt Francis, an employee at KSL News in Salt Lake and a daily I-15 commuter. “A road that receives the amount of consistent traffic flow as ours needs a lot of TLC to keep it in good shape. Don’t get me wrong, I hope there is a day soon when it is done and stays that way for a while.”
A UDOT press release says in order to minimize the delays, “drivers are encouraged to use TravelWise, plan ahead and use suggested detours. Stay informed about these and other I-15 CORE construction activities by signing up for weekly email updates at udot.utah.gov/i15core, following the project on facebook.com/i15core and twitter.com/i15core and receiving text updates by texting ‘i15core’ to 53535.”
