New Headaches For I-15 Motorists

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July 12, 2000

Just when you thought traveling on I-15 was getting better, construction crews have a whole new set of headaches planned for drivers.

New construction work set to begin this week is squeezing drivers into some tight spots.

News Specialist John Daley explains.

Last winter, driving where I-80 merges into I-15 became easier when Wasatch Constructors opened up another lane.

But this weekend the road was reduced back to two lanes. And that's just the beginning.

Another project starting up Friday could make it more difficult for drivers in the south end of the valley, too.

The offramp from I-15 to west and eastbound I-215 is now two lanes. But come Friday morning, a one-mile stretch of the off-ramp will be squeezed back to a single lane.

Before the off-ramp was widened about six months ago, traffic backed up on the entire freeway, not just the offramp, every morning. Wasatch Constructors officials expect the same traffic to return.

Kay Lin Hermansen/Wasatch Constructors: "THERE IS A CHANCE THERE COULD BE SOME BACKUP ONTO I-15, SO IN THIS CASE. PLANNING FOR DELAYS DOESN'T ONLY APPLY TO THE MOTORISTS WHO USE THE ROUTE, BUT ALSO TO THOSE MOTORISTS WHO WANT TO CONTINUE ON I-15 NORTHBOUND."

And so, after three years of Wasatch Constructors' encouragement to use I-215, officials now want motorists to stay on the main freeway.

Kay Lin Hermansen/Wasatch Constructors: "IF MOTORISTS CAN USE I-15 INSTEAD OF TAKING THE COLLECTOR ROUTE. THAT WILL ALSO HELP THEM. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, 15 WILL PROBABLY LOOK LIKE A BETTER ALTERNATE."

As for the north interchange - which now backs up traffic onto I-80 and the main freeway, Wasatch Constructors says it's only temporary, but necessary.

Kay Lin Hermansen/Wasatch Constructors: "IT'S NOT A PERMANENT CONFIGURATION AT ALL. THAT RAMP RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN REDUCED DOWN TO ONE LANE AS WE'VE CLOSE THE 2100 SOUTH OFF-RAMP IN ORDER TO RECONSTRUCT THAT ARTERIAL UNDERNEATH."

They suggest motorists get off at State Street.

The work at the south interchange should be finished in four weeks. But Wasatch officials say this is just the first in a series of month-long lane restrictions to put the finishing touches on the freeway.