Redwood Road Project
Frequently Asked Questions
What's happening on SR-68?
Project Information
How can I get more questions answered and stay informed during construction?
UDOT has employed a project-dedicated public information team. This group has already distributed
information along the corridor to adjacent stakeholders, and is working to get the word out to a wider
area by direct mail, coordination with local governments and other agencies, and direct contact with
other key stakeholder groups.
The team will also primarily be using email to distribute information to area residents, businesses,
commuters and other interested stakeholders. Regular project updates, including coming construction
impacts, will be distributed by email to any interested stakeholders. If you wish to receive these
updates, visit the project Web site, www.udot.utah.gov/sr-68south, or email the project team at
sr68info@langdongroupinc.com.
Stakeholders can also contact the project team with questions or concerns through the following methods:
• Email: sr68info@langdongroupinc.com
• Phone: 801-455-3116
• Web site: www.udot.utah.gov/sr-68south
Project Features
Where will the new traffic signals be located?
Traffic signals are currently planned for upgrade or new installation at the following locations along SR-
68 as part of the Design/Build project:
• 14400 South in Bluffdale (upgrade)
• Camp Williams Main Gate
• 10400 South in Saratoga Springs
• Harvest Hills Boulevard in Saratoga Springs
• SR-73 in Saratoga Springs (upgrade)
Are sound walls going to be constructed as part of the project?
As part of the environmental process, a noise analysis was conducted to determine any locations that
warranted a sound wall and where a sound wall would be effective in reducing roadway noise levels.
The area adjacent to the Dalmore Meadows subdivision in Saratoga Springs met these two criteria, and
a majority of area residents favored installation of the wall. As such, a wall will be constructed
immediately west of the subdivision along the east edge of the roadway, approximately 800 feet long.
In other areas of the project, particularly in Bluffdale, the noise analysis found that the many accesses
and side streets intersecting SR-68 would limit the length and continuity of the wall, and therefore its
effectiveness at reducing noise. As such, it was determined a wall would not be installed at these
locations.
What is being done to address the deer and other wildlife dangers on the road?
The Environmental Analysis identified the need to construct wildlife fencing along the western edge of
SR-68 in the more rural areas of the route. This fencing will channel deer and other wildlife to three
wildlife undercrossings to be constructed as part of the project. These crossings will be located just
north of Camp Williams, just south of Camp Williams and as part of an existing Camp Williams truck
undercrossing. UDOT anticipates these features will greatly reduce the potential for vehicle/wildlife
incidents.
Project Basics
How long is the project and where does it start and stop?
The SR-68 Design/Build will widen and improve the roadway between Bangerter Highway in Bluffdale
and 400 South in Saratoga Springs. This is a distance of just more than 10 miles.
What will the road look like when it is done?
The project will widen SR-68 to five lanes – two lanes in each direction with a center turn lane. The
roadway shoulders will also be widened for safety. The shoulder will include a dedicated bike lane on
each side of the road.
Curb, gutter and sidewalk will also be added in Bluffdale between Bangerter Highway and
approximately 15000 South. South of this point, sidewalk will be replaced where it currently exists, but
no new sidewalk is planned. New curb, gutter and sidewalk in the Saratoga Springs area is planned to
be installed as development occurs.
How long will the project last?
Construction is expected to last from April 2008 to fall of 2009.
What is a Design/Build? Why is UDOT doing it?
In a typical transportation project, once environmental work has been cleared, UDOT will fully design a
project before bidding it out to the contracting community for construction. Placing these processes in
sequence on a project of this size can often require a year or more for design and then multiple years
for construction.
In a Design/Build, the processes of design and construction are overlapped. Final design work is
completed for a specific area within the work zone. Construction then begins in that area, and final
design focuses on other areas of the project. As design is finalized along the route, construction moves
to those areas. This process continues until the project is complete.
By overlapping these two phases of a project, UDOT can complete roadway improvements much more
quickly. Given the many transportation needs in the northwest part of Utah County and the southwest
part of Salt Lake County, UDOT decided to construct the SR-68 project as a Design/Build to reduce the
time necessary to build the improvements by nearly a year.
Construction Process and Traffic Impacts
When and where will work begin?
The project team is already performing preliminary exploratory and survey work along the project
corridor. Crews are also beginning more full-scale construction activities in early April in select zones
of the project area where design and property acquisition are complete.
The team’s first priority is currently the area from approximately 14800 South in Bluffdale to Camp
Williams. Construction activities will begin in this area and then move north and south as design and
property acquisition is completed.
Construction may begin in isolated areas at other locations along the route, also as design and property
acquisition can be finalized.
How will the project impact traffic?
UDOT intends to maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction along Redwood Road during
construction. Lanes will be narrowed and turning movements limited or restricted in some areas of the
project, but access to and from residential and business areas will be maintained. Any necessary
roadway closures will be planned in advance, notification will be provided in a variety of methods, and
work requiring any closures will be conducted during off-peak hours to minimize any potential
disruption to traffic.
Given that the current lane configuration on SR-68 in the area is one lane in each direction, UDOT does
not expect heavy traffic delays as a result of the construction. Given the limited turning movements
and narrowed lanes, however, motorists should allow for some slight delays in the area.
There aren’t any good detours in the area. How can I avoid construction altogether?
UDOT is aware that SR-68 is one of only two major north-south routes between Salt Lake and Utah
Counties at this location (I-15 being the other). For this reason, they have required the Design/Build
team to keep one lane in each direction open during construction. This will maintain the route’s
current capacity.
Privat Property Impacts/Concerns
How can construction be starting if I haven’t been contacted about acquisition of my property?
Design must be finalized before exact impacts to any specific property are known. In a Design/Build,
the design process focuses first on the area where construction will begin. In this case, that will be
between approximately 14800 South in Bluffdale and Camp Williams.
Once design and property acquisition in that area are complete and construction begins, design will
then focus on areas in Bluffdale north of 14800 South and south of Camp Williams. As specific property
impacts are known, a dedicated Right-of-Way team will contact affected property owners regarding
specific impacts and to conduct the acquisition process. This process must be completed before
construction activities can begin on one’s private property.
If UDOT needs property from me, when will I be contacted and how will the process happen?
Once specific impacts are identified through final design, an appraiser will contact private property
owners along the route as needed to perform property appraisals. Once the appraisal is completed and
reviewed, an acquisition agent will contact the property owner to make a formal offer and work
toward final acquisition. For more information regarding the Right-of-Way process, visit the project
Web site, www.udot.utah.gov/sr-68south and click on UDOT Right-of-Way Info in the Quick Links menu.
How will I access my business or home during construction?
Maintaining access to homes and businesses for area residents and merchants is a priority for the
project team throughout construction. The project team will keep accesses open by providing
continued direct or alternate access, except when utility lines or other construction activities require
brief access closures. When an access must be temporarily closed and an alternate cannot be identified, the project team will work with the property owner in advance to determine a resolution.
I have a steep driveway already. Will this project make it worse?
The project team knows that residents and business owners will need a way to continue to access their
homes and businesses after the project is complete. Specific driveway issues will be addressed on a
case-by-case basis during final design and as construction proceeds to ensure adequate access to
private property is maintained.
We use irrigation water to water our fields/ lawns. Will this be interrupted during construction?
The project team is working with local irrigation companies to coordinate seasonal irrigation needs and
construction activity phasing. It is in the best interest of irrigation users and the construction crew to
work around irrigation seasons as much as possible. This is being coordinated as design proceeds.
What will happen to my mailbox on the edge of the road?
The project team will coordinate with the postal service to allow regular postal delivery to continue.
However, some special accommodations for delivery locations will be required during construction
(i.e., mailboxes will likely be relocated farther back onto private property to be out of the
construction zone). Following construction, mailboxes will be placed at the new edge of the roadway.
Why wasn’t I contacted sooner about property impacts?
Under the Design/Build process design and construction occur in close succession in a given area before
crews move onto the next area, making it difficult to provide detailed information on property impacts
early-on. UDOT commits to providing detailed information as soon as it is available. Our project
information team began its outreach efforts as soon as project details started coming together. Even
with many unknowns remaining, our team will continue to answer questions and resolve concerns.