Largest highway project, the West Davis Highway opened ahead of schedule

The largest highway project in Utah, the West Davis Highway, has been completed and opened ahead of schedule. The US$750 million project was set to open in summer 2024 after construction began in May 2021. UDOT officials estimated that all lanes of the new highway (SR 177) would be open by summer 2024. That timeline was shortened because of the diligent work of contractors working on the project and the new West Davis Highway opened several months early. The West Davis Highway is a 16-mi., four-lane divided highway designed to improve access to and from western Davis County. Further, the highway runs from I-15 near Glovers Lane in Farmington to the future extension of S.R. 193 and 4500 West in West Point.

Challenges faced construction

The project, located along the Great Salt Lake and Wasatch Mountains, came with several challenges, including a “finite” amount of land to work with. Much of that land is environmentally sensitive and saw a great deal of new home construction. The project also is preserving 1,100 acres of wetlands near the Great Salt Lake to help safeguard the environment. Additionally, the West Davis Highway is one of several projects planned to upgrade the transportation system in northern Utah to meet current and future needs. This is especially important because the number of homes in Davis and Weber counties is expected to increase by 65 percent by 2040.

Benefits of the West Davis Highway

The West Davis Highway is expected to reduce delays by more than 30 percent on local roads west of I-15. Six new interchanges have been built to connect to I-15 and local roads:I-15/Legacy Parkway in Farmington, 950 North in Farmington, 200 North in Kaysville, 2700 West in Layton, 2000 West in Syracuse, Antelope Drive in Syracuse.

The Construction Team

The project was constructed by Farmington Bay Constructors, a joint venture of three companies. These include Ames Construction, Wadsworth Brothers Construction and Staker Parson Materials and Construction. Ames is a noted earth-moving company, according to Rex Harris, UDOT project manager. In addition, a future phase is planned to extend the highway to 1800 North in West Point. Furthermore, long-term transportation plans detail extending the West Davis Highway through Weber County and connecting back to I-15. An environmental study to extend West Davis to 1800 North in West Point will begin in spring of 2024.

“Farmington Bay Constructors Joint Venture, with Ames Construction as the managing partner, began construction of the four-lane divided highway in 2021. Designed to relieve congestion in one of the fastest growing areas of the country, the project involved construction of new northbound and southbound lanes, five freeway-style interchanges, 21 roadway bridges and four pedestrian bridges. The corridor stretches from I-15 in Centerville City to SR 193 in Syracuse City,” Ames Construction said in a statement.