AASHTO Journal - Utah DOT Celebrates Opening of New West Davis Highway

The Utah Department of Transportation recently opened all lanes on the new West Davis Highway; celebrating that milestone with a community run/walk/bike event along a two-mile section its new road and trails.

[Above photo by Utah DOT]

The West Davis Highway is a 16-mile, four-lane divided highway designed to improve access to and from western Davis County. The highway runs from I-15 near Glovers Lane in Farmington to the future extension of S.R. 193 and 4500 West in West Point. The new highway is expected to reduce delays by more than 30 percent on local roads west of I-15, the agency said.

Utah DOT pointed out that this project also is preserving 1,100 acres of wetlands near the Great Salt Lake to help safeguard the environment.

The agency added that work on the West Davis Highway will continue into the summer of 2024 with occasional lane closures while crews complete weather-dependent tasks such as additional paving, roadside plant and grass seeding, and other punch list items.

When construction began in May 2021, UDOT officials estimated that all lanes of the new highway – known as SR-177 – would be open by summer 2024. However, the agency subsequently shortened that timeline, with the new West Davis Highway opening several months earlier than originally planned.

“There has been a concerted effort to open up this new highway as soon as possible because we know it will immediately make a huge difference in people’s lives,” noted Utah DOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras in a statement.

“People need different options to get where they want to go in the way they want to get there, and this project represents our commitment to accomplishing this mission,” he added.

The Utah DOT noted that the West Davis Highway is one of several projects planned to upgrade the transportation system in northern Utah to meet current and future needs. This is especially important because the number of homes in Davis and Weber counties is expected to increase by 65 percent by 2040, the agency added.