Concerns over bridge prompt Lehi City to plan improvements
May 22, 2018, 11:22 PM
LEHI, Utah – You trust that they’ll keep you safe on the roads, but a bridge along Lehi’s Main Street has some residents concerned after a national survey suggests it is in disrepair.
In 2015, the National Bridge Inventory, a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, found the bridge needed repairs or to be replaced. The two lane bridge, built in 1947, crosses the Jordan River on the border of Lehi and Saratoga Springs.
Resident Tanner Danis said he and his family enjoy evening bike rides over the bridge, but are taking a big chance when they cross it.
“It’s rolling the dice, that’s why I’ll only go when there’s a big break in the traffic, because I don’t trust others driving,” he said. “Definitely you can get clipped.”
The roadway is a main east to west corridor for many residents, but they believe this old design needs to catch up with the times.
“It’s way too narrow,” Danis said. “There’s not even really a sidewalk, you’ve got about a foot of space there.”
The Utah Department of Transportation inspected the bridge in the fall of 2017, and found it to be in good condition. If it were in poor condition, UDOT officials said they would look at making improvements.
“It is Lehi property, so we are responsible for that,” said Lehi City Administration Cameron Boyle.
Boyle said the bridge has been on their radar, but at the moment is safe.
“We are confident that the roads and bridges are safe for our residents to travel on,” he said. “If there were any concerns about that, action would be taken immediately.”
The city is hoping a $12 million to $13 million project in the works will improve the area in question. The project would consist of improvements along Lehi Main Street from 2300 West to Redwood Road.
“It is going to be widened to a five lane road with two lanes in each direction and a turning lane in the middle,” Boyle said. “We want the residents to understand that these projects just take time.”
The city hopes to start construction by the end of this year or spring of 2019, and said it will likely take more than a year to complete.
