
The city of Spanish Fork is growing — a lot.
U.S. Census Bureau data showed that it was among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in Utah from 2022 to 2023. Spanish Fork had more than 45,500 residents in 2023, with the city projecting more than 70,000 residents by 2050.
As Spanish Fork grows, roads and transportation are the top concern among residents, according to Nick Porter, Spanish Fork City’s public information officer.
“We send out a survey every year, and the biggest complaint is always traffic. It always has been,” Porter said. “In order to solve the biggest problem in the city, we have to do some pretty innovative things.”
The city’s traffic project is called the Pipeline Plan and is focused on safety, Spanish Fork Traffic Engineer Dillon Muirbrook said.
“Right now, Main Street isn’t what most people would consider to be very walkable or bikeable or transitable. It’s more of a car-centered facility,” Muirbrook said. “We see most people who currently utilize the transportation network in Utah want to use cars. So, our projects on Main Street are wholly centered around safety.”
From a traffic operations standpoint, there won’t be a terrific improvement, Muirbrook said. However, the city’s goal is not to bring more traffic onto Main Street.
“We’re looking to make Main Street a community center…It’s a full revitalization project,” he said. “The idea is primarily to increase safety and sense of community on the corridor.”
Currently, plans include narrowing driving lanes, adding center islands and landscaping, adding a bike lane, widening sidewalks and only allowing left turns at signalized intersections. Muirbrook said the updated Main Street will be similar to University Avenue in Provo, minus the bus-only lanes.
According to city officials, most traffic currently turns from Main Street onto 1000 North towards the city’s shopping center. In order to make their plans for Main Street work, other roads traveling north and south in the city need to be easier and safer to use.

Muirbrook added while past traffic engineers for the city weren’t perfect, their creation of “collector roads” set apart for future use was effective.
300 West and 300 East are wide roads that are perfect for bringing traffic off of Main Street, he said. While 600 East is narrower, it is also is a great connection between popular north and south points in Spanish Fork.
One problem, however, is that 300 East suddenly becomes very narrow after its intersection with 800 North, then ends completely at 900 North. It does not go through to the town’s shopping centers.
Muirbrook said the city addressed this issue by installing a roundabout at 300 East and 800 North. He said this will enable people to transfer to 200 East and 400 East, which connects directly to Macy's and Costco.
Other additions to the road include a stoplight at 400 East and 800 North and a mini roundabout at 200 East and 800 North. Muirbrook said these new configurations will assist traffic flow as people travel to the town’s shopping centers.
Some traffic changes, however, have caused concern for residents in the area.
Patrick Smalley lives on 800 North between 200 East and 400 East.
“My driveway is right on 800 North," Smalley said. "When they put in that stoplight—it’s great now. I only have to wait a minute or two to get out of my driveway."
However, he says the new changes have had the detrimental effects.
“They want traffic to flow, but if you sit in a lawn chair in one of our yards, you’ll realize quickly that traffic flow is the problem, not the solution,” Smalley said. “Traffic flows on 800 North, but it’s unobstructed with the roundabouts.”
Around February, a notice was posted on Smalley's door by the city announcing a neighborhood meeting to discuss plans for the roundabout.
City officials at this meeting had an “abhorrent attitude,” Smalley said. They told residents who attended that the decision for a roundabout was already made and the meeting was only a formality.
“They said, ‘Well, we don’t have to have these meetings. We’re just doing this to be nice,’” Smalley said. “Are you kidding me?”
He added that some of his neighbors are considering selling their homes and moving out because of traffic issues on 800 North. He wants to move as well, but can’t afford to, he said.
“We’re stuck here for a while. It’s one of those things where, you know, what can you really do about it?” Smalley said.
City officials said traffic flow on 800 North was never their focus for this project.
“It wasn’t really for 800 North. It was really for 300 East,” Muirbrook said.
800 North was always intended to have heavier traffic, Muirbrook added, so he doesn’t like that former engineers decided to build homes along 800 North. But, the city can’t change that now, he said.
“What we can do is slow [the cars] down. Roundabouts slow people down. A signal will slow people down. So now, we’ve created a safer, slower space for the residents who live on 800 North,” Muirbrook said. “We can’t move the houses, but we can make traffic move safely.”
He added while he understands residents’ concerns about new traffic patterns, he believes it will help in the long run.
“Without seeing that big picture [of the Pipeline Plan], it does seem kind of dumb,” Muirbrook said. “But when you see the bigger picture, now it starts to make sense.”

City officials also noted that they host public meetings for residents to discuss traffic concerns, but they don’t get a lot of attendees, despite a number of complaints on Spanish Fork Community Facebook pages. Porter said he hopes this trend changes.
“Anyone that has a … genuine question can come in and ask, and we’ll explain,” said Porter.
Muirbrook echoed this message, adding that resident feedback is essential to making the city better.
“We like hearing from our residents. We like hearing what they see, what they notice,” Muirbrook said. “What we promise our residents is, get in touch with us and we’ll take a serious and good look at your suggestion.”
Information about public meetings can be found at spanishfork.gov.
Residents can connect with city officials by calling or the Spanish Fork City Offices at (801) 804-4500 or by visiting in-person at 40 South Main Street.