Widening project on 5400 South is well underway

The orange cones are out, and if you don’t pay close attention, you might end up on the wrong side of the road while traveling down 5400 South in Kearns.

“We know it’s a headache for commuters and businesses,” said, Troy Peterson Utah Department of Transportation project manager.“We are working hard and fast to get as much done as we can every day.”

The widening project is the second half of a larger project that widened 5400 South on the east side of Bangerter Highway a few years ago. The second half of the project is widening 5400 South from five to seven lanes from Bangerter Highway to 4800 West.

Crews will do as much work as possible behind the existing curbs on the south side of 5400 South before moving onto the roadway. But sewer lines are currently going in down the middle of the road, causing lane shifts and traffic delays, and Rocky Mountain Power is relocating power lines. Work begins at 7 a.m. most mornings and finishes around 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“There will be flex lanes during construction,” Peterson said. “Two lanes of traffic will go in the direction of the heaviest [traffic] and one lane in the opposite direction. These lanes will shift in the afternoon to accommodate traffic flow, so drivers need to pay attention while driving down 5400.”

Besides widening the road, the intersection at 4015 West and 5400 South, where the Kearns Cannon used to be, will be reconfigured to a ThrU-Turn intersection to improve traffic flow. There is only one other intersection like this, located in Draper at 12300 South and State Street. Additional improvments include four new signaled intersections, a new pedestrian crosswalk by the fire station and a six-foot concrete wall along the property lines of homes on the south side of 5400 South from 4270 to 4580 West.

“There will be pedestrian access along the project,” Peterson said, “but it will change depending on where the crews are working, so people need to pay attention.”

Construction on the $37.6 million project is scheduled to end this fall, and will not be far enough along for the Kearns Hometown Days parade to use 5400 South in August.

“We have several options we can look at to make sure the parade happens, because it is such a big part of the community,” Kearns Community Council treasurer Chrystal Butterfield said. The new parade route will be announced this summer.

Residents can see a detailed map of the project at udot.utah.gov/5400south. UDOT official are available to answer questions by calling 855-975-4958 or by email at 5400south@utah.gov.