By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
Interchanges leading from I-15 to Nephi will all be
repaired in an extensive seven-month project to begin in the
Spring of 2006.
Geoff Dupaix, Lee Nitchman and Craig Hancock,
representing the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT)
met with Nephi City Council members on Tuesday to explain
the project.
"We are here to give you a quick overview of the
project," said Dupaix.
"The concrete section of I-15 from one-mile north
interchange (S.R. 41) to one-mile south of the south
interchange (MP 216) needs to be repaired or reconstructed,"
said Dupaix.
Other sections of the concrete will be ground to
improve the surface.
He said that between the north and south interchanges,
motorists will be diverted onto (crossed-over) one side of
the freeway while the other side is under construction.
It will be like an old two-lane county highway with
vehicle lanes facing on-coming traffic.
"Half of the interchanges to S.R. 132 or exit 225 and
S.R. 28 or exit 222 will be closed depending on which side
of I-15 is under construction," said Dupaix. "The other half
of the interchanges will remain open."
He said that closures for each direction could take
three months as each side is being worked on.
"Pavement grinding will take approximately one month,"
said Dupaix. "These closures will save eight to 12 weeks of
additional construction time."
Proposed as detour routes are S.R. 41 (exit 228) to
S.R. 132 and S.R. 41 (exit 228) to S.R. 28.
He said during Phase I, northbound and southbound
traffic will share the same side of the freeway.
"One half of the interchange would be closed down and
that may have an effect on businesses," Dupaix said."We will
fill in a section of the median and traffic will then travel
to the other side of the freeway at that point. We call that
a crossover."
Phase II will be just the opposite with traffic
crossing over to the other or to the completed side.
Not all the traffic will be able to get off the
freeway in the southbound direction for three months. The
opposite will occur when the northbound lanes are traveling
on the same side of the freeway.
"We came in to get a sense of the timing from the
council," said Dupaix. "Summertime is when we usually do
road work."
"Have you ever done a freeway interchange this way?"
asked Mike Jones, council member."i have never heard of it
being done so that the exits were completely shut down."
Jones said he had seen the exit shut down half way but
never completely.
He said his business, which caters to freeway traffic,
is located at the center Nephi interchange and doing without
that business for seven months will be difficult if not
impossible.
"You will kill many of the interchange businesses in
Nephi," said Chad Brough, mayor.
He asked if it would be possible to do the work in the
winter rather than the summer.
"We have the both the Ute Stampede and the Mormon
Handcart Pageant in July," said Brough. Both events attract
crowds in the many thousands range and having the center
Nephi exit closed would be difficult.
Even though traffic coming from the south could travel
past Nephi and take the North Nephi exit, they would likely
not do so.
Council members said they did not want the concrete
highway replaced but preferred the state use asphalt
instead. That way, said Jones, the traffic could be allowed
to get off of the freeway at the center exchange.
In addition, said Brough, council members had been
considering asking UDOT to either replace the concrete to
put in sound barriers for residents of Nephi because the
concrete highway was so much more loud.
"The concrete is all falling apart," said Jones.
"We still think there is some value in the concrete
surface," said Hancock. "It would be better to replace some
sections than redo the whole surface because there is at
least 20 years more life left."
January through April would be the slowest time for
his business, said Jones.
"Concrete costs double in winter," said Hancock.
"Asphalt is also a problem in the winter months."
Brough asked if the freeway work could be done at
night.
"What would that accomplish, Sir?" asked Nitchman. The
costs of the construction would be raised and pouring
concrete still take a certain amount of time. Closing the
work day to certain hours would only prolong the work
time.
"Regardless of when the construction happens," said
Dupaix, "there is going to be impact. There is not going to
be a perfect time."
I-15 has to be fixed and it needs to be done soon, he
said.
Brough said that sales tax will also be lost to the
city if the businesses are affected. That will directly
affect residents of the community.
"Nobody is going to bypass Nephi, go to the north
interchange, get off and come back," said Brent Bowles,
council member. "They are too close to Santaquin at that
point."
Nitchman said that he had spent considerable time and
effort trying to come up with a good plan for Nephi. The
plan settled on would get the job done, carry lower risk to
the public and would be completed in a shorter period of
time than any other plan considered.
"We need to meet safety standards," he said.
The UDOT representatives have scheduled a meeting with
the Nephi Chamber of Commerce but could not get on the
agenda thee until January.
Robyn Higgenson, who was present at the council
meeting, told UDOT representatives that she did not like the
concrete surface of the freeway and said she hoped the plan
would be reconsidered and asphalt be used instead.
"It is a noisy surface," said Higgenson. "Ever since
the concrete has been there since about 1980, the freeway
has been noisy."
She said the truck and other vehicle traffic was
creating a lot of disturbing noise. Citizens located close
to the freeway were thinking that they should have sound
barriers like those UDOT has put in other places.
In addition, she said, she could not believe that UDOT
would want to shut down the exits into town.
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