RIVERTON, Utah -- After more than a year of construction barrels covering the road, the new interchange at the intersection of Bangerter Highway and Redwood Road is finally finished.
“This represents a huge improvement from the old intersection,” said Marwan Farah, who is a Resident Engineer for the Utah Department of Transportation.
Now the 71,000 drivers passing through the area will navigate the grade A, separated, single-point urban interchange with Bangerter raised above Redwood Road.
“If we didn't have this separated bridge, we would be at a standstill with--the intersection would totally fail as it was,” said Mayor Bill Applegarth of Riverton City.
The change is expected to not only increase mobility, but to make the area safer while catering to the fast growing communities surrounding the area.
“This is a quality of life issue," Applegarth said. "When you're coming home and you're tired and you want to get home and you run into an intersection where it's slow and it's stop and go and it takes time to get home and get through and it's failing, when you get home you're a little more grouchy."
Construction crews said it has been a long road to finish the $42 million project that started in May of 2014.
"It's great; it's always nice to see the project from the conceptual to the completion," Farah said.
Crews fought the weather and other challenges, but they said they were able to keep traffic moving and their workers safe.
“We have over 180,000 man hours without any loss or accident on the job, which is huge,” Farah said.
“This will be a really free flowing intersection where you can get through in a safe way we're excited about it,” Applegarth said.
Construction crews will still be on site throughout the summer months making finishing touches. Possible lane closures and shift changes are possible.
