YOUR AD HERE »

Motorists advised of traffic delays

Patrick Parkinson, Of the Record staff

The Utah Department of Transportation advises motorists of expected lane restrictions and road closures along State Road 224 in the Snyderville Basin this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, traffic on the highway between Interstate 80 and Bear Hollow Drive will be restricted to one lane in each direction while intersections are closed intermittently for up to 90 minutes, UDOT officials say.

S.R. 224 is a thoroughfare that links the Snyderville Basin to Park City and provides the most direct route between Park City and the Salt Lake valley.

Crews expected the lane restrictions to start Friday when a project began to roto-mill and repave S.R. 224. Completion of the work is expected June 17, according to UDOT spokeswoman Heather Johnson.

Grinding the existing pavement allows it to be replaced to create a smoother ride for motorists and extend the life of the road, she added.

Crews hired by state transportation officials to repave the road arrived Friday as motorists were warned that traffic could back up this weekend at some points in the Snyderville Basin.

A plan to create a third lane on the highway near Landmark Drive as part of the project was scrapped after people complained that re-striping the road would eliminate the highway shoulder for bicyclists and pedestrians.

"We were very happy with the reaction from the Summit County Commission on that one," said Carol Potter, executive director of the Mountain Trails Foundation.

To avoid gridlock, motorists heading to downtown Park City use U.S. 40 and exit onto S.R. 248. Avoiding drivers at Kimball Junction as repaving occurs this weekend means cyclists and hikers should use the paved trail east of S.R. 224 that begins near Wild Oats Marketplace at Redstone Towne Center.

"That connector trail, which starts at Redstone, takes you back behind all the neighborhoods," she explained. "You can come all the way into Park City."

The road construction is slated in three phases with resurfacing planned on the roadway near Kimball Junction June 16 and 17. The second phase of work is scheduled June 28-July 1 when crews expect to work on S.R. 224 between Kearns Boulevard and the Old Town roundabout.

The third phase of construction could begin July 12 when a section of State Road 248, between its intersection with S.R. 224 and Wyatt Earp Way, is repaved.

The road construction, which covers 8.2 miles and has a reported budget of $2.2 million, should be completed before the Park City Kimball Arts Festival — set Aug. 4-5 on Main Street — which draws large crowds to town, transportation officials say.

Crews will be tearing up sections of the road and repaving them.

Staying safe in construction zones means slowing down, officials warn. Motorists should watch for trucks entering the road, flaggers and other members of the road crew.

A driver ticketed in a construction zone faces doubled fines, authorities say.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.