Construction on Landmark Drive has snarled traffic this summer and might not be complete in time for gridlock that wreaks havoc each ski season on the troubled Kimball Junction roadway.
“They’re still expressing significant concerns about being able to complete all of the paving for the project this year,” Summit County Engineer Derrick Radke said about the contractor.
Disputes between Staker Parsons Companies and utility providers in the area pushed back the expected completion date, he explained.
Oct. 15 is the deadline for Staker to finish paving the new road and crews are working six days a week.
They are installing a roundabout west of the Sheldon Richins Building and realigning the road at Kimball Junction through the existing Walmart parking lot. The new stretch of road will connect to the existing Landmark Drive northwest of Arby’s near the Best Western hotel. Arby’s customers will still use the old Landmark Drive, which will be left in front of the restaurant.
The work began July 21. The project provides two left-turn lanes from Landmark Drive onto State Road 224.
The new five-lane street, which includes the median, will have sidewalks and bus stops, said Kent Wilkerson, a Summit County traffic engineer.
The project will extend Ute Boulevard past the Sheldon Richins Building to a two-lane roundabout near Taco Bell, Wilkerson said.
“As with all construction projects in urban settings, construction causes disruptions and delays to everyone’s lives,” Wilkerson said. “This project is no exception.”
Once work at the Landmark Drive/S.R. 224 intersection is complete and a new signal is operational, Wilkerson said major traffic delays from construction should decrease.
Questions and concerns from citizens about the project can be voiced at (888) 914-5454.