There’s good news on the horizon for those concerned with traffic issues jamming their way through Heber City. Just how far that horizon is remains to be determined.
In recent weeks, updates have been released by the Utah Department of Transportation about the ongoing Heber Valley Corridor project and by Heber City regarding the currently-under-construction Heritage Farms Parkway.
Heritage Farms Parkway
An Aug. 23 press release from Heber City indicated that Section B of the three-part project would soon be undergoing construction, meaning 550 East and Mill Road will soon be connected. The city’s release indicated hope that the original completion goal of this year will be honored, though it said it would require a rigorous work schedule.
“Anticipated work hours on Section B will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., six days a week,” the release states. “The 2023 project scope for Section B will include the road, other hardscape and utilities.”
Once the entire Heritage Farms Parkway project is complete, the release says, “it will connect from Hwy. 40 [about 900 North] to Center Street [near the new Jordan Park at Red Ledges].”
Heber Valley Corridor
While Heber City is optimistic about finishing its project by the deadline, UDOT has announced it will take longer to release the project’s Environmental Impact Statement draft than was originally planned.
Speaking to The Park Record, project manager Craig Hancock said UDOT now plans to release the EIS draft early next year rather than this fall to more fully address the long-term implications of the route chosen for the corridor.
“We wanted to run a sensitivity analysis on the travel demand model just to make sure that we fully understand the growth projections, especially beyond 2050,” he said.
Though he specified that the chosen EIS is considering traffic demands through 2050, he said UDOT wanted to ensure decision makers and community members will be aware of the situation even beyond then as the community continues to grow.
“The alternatives that we’ve evaluated, the five alternatives, all meet the demand for 2050,” he said. “Part of what this sensitivity analysis will do is look beyond 2050 to make sure that the solution we’re having has some longevity with it.”
After the EIS draft is released, Hancock predicts it will take five to ten years to secure the funding needed for the project.