By Fiona Ricker
fiona@newsroom.byu.edu
Two sections of Bangerter Highway were closed the weekend of April 28 through April 30, as construction crews continued work on two pedestrian overpasses as part of the I-15 overhaul.
'At this time, all candidates for pedestrian overpasses are school crossings,' said Tracy Conti, Region Two deputy director of the Utah Transportation Commission.
Construction crews for the Utah Department of Transportationplaced beams for the overpasses at 4100 South and 13400 South, closing traffic in both directions.
The overpasses will ensure a safe crossing for junior high and high school students, said Lester John, Utah Department of Transportation field engineer for the project.
'School was a major concern, the driving force behind the overpasses,' John said.
Several criteria determine where an overpass will be placed, Conti said.
These include the number of people crossing, the speed limit on the road, the number of vehicles on the road daily, the number of traffic lanes, the pedestrian accident history of the area, and if the area includes a school route.
Although inconvenient, students see the value behind such projects.
'I'd be frustrated if I drove on Bangerter Highway, but I'm glad that the students have a safe way of crossing,' said Amy Gay, 20, a zoology major from Mt. Pleasant, Mich.
The overpasses are scheduled for completion during the first week of June. Future highway closures for the project are not anticipated.
'We try to limit closures to a one-time thing, usually when placing beams,' John said.
The Utah Department of Transportation has plans for three more pedestrian overpasses. These locations are Bangerter Highway at 12600 South, Bangerter at 3500 South, and Redwood Road at 7500 South.
A pedestrian activated signal is planned for State Street at 2820 South.