The new 4.5-mi. road runs from SR 138 near Sheep Lane to I-80 approximately 5 mi. west of the SR 36 interchange.

Contractor crews working for the Utah Department of Transportation have made significant progress on a project to create a new highway in Tooele County.

Midvalley Highway will provide drivers with better access to I-80 and reduce congestion at the SR 36 interchange and along SR 36.

The new 4.5-mi. road runs from SR 138 near Sheep Lane to I-80 approximately 5 mi. west of the SR 36 interchange and is expected to remove 6,000 to 8,000 vehicles per day from SR 36, reducing delays on that road by 70 percent.

"Our mission at UDOT is to improve quality of life through transportation," said Lisa Wilson, UDOT deputy director. "In one of the fastest-growing communities in Utah, the new Midvalley Highway will shorten drive times, giving people more time to do the things they want. It will provide better connections to employment, education and loved ones, and more economic opportunities across the valley."

Some major benefits of the Midvalley Highway include:

• 15 to 20 percent traffic removal from SR 36 in the Lake Point area;
• 70 percent reduction in delays on southbound S.R. 36;
• Five minute travel time from SR 138 to I-80.

Constructing the Midvalley Highway is part of UDOT's long-term transportation planning initiative in Tooele County to improve traffic conditions for a growing population. UDOT will continue to evaluate and work with partners to provide transportation choices that keep people moving.

Midvalley Highway Future Phases

UDOT also will begin a re-evaluation process for Phases 2 and 3 of the Midvalley Highway project. Since some time has passed since final environmental approval of the whole project, the team will be re-evaluating the final preferred environmental alignment to see if potential updates could make a future alignment more responsive to land use and development changes while also reducing environmental impacts. UDOT will share additional information about that effort as it moves forward.

Planned Future Tooele Valley Projects

During the 2021 Legislative Session, funding was allocated to a number of transportation projects statewide. Tooele Valley projects funded with this allocation and planned for design and construction over the next 5-10 years include:

• A new eastbound I-80 auxiliary lane between Lake Point and SR 201(similar to the new lane completed last year in the same area in the westbound direction);
• New additional northbound and southbound lane on SR 36 between Mills Junction and I-80.

More Construction in Toole County: State Route 112, 138 Renewed

UDOT is scheduled to begin two pavement renewal projects in the Tooele Valley this spring and summer.

The first project is located on SR 138 between Grantsville and SR 36. The second project is located on SR 112 between SR 138 and SR 36. Project work on SR 138 is expected to begin in early May and will include roadway resurfacing, asphalt repair and rumble strip removal between Grantsville Main Street and Mills Junction. Project work on SR 112 is expected to begin in early July and will include roadway resurfacing between SR 138 and SR 36. Work is expected to last through the summer.

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