A $265 million project is underway in Roy, Utah, where a reconstruction effort is building a new I-15 interchange and widening 5600 South (State Route 97).
Sand Ridge Constructors (SRC), a joint venture of Granite Construction and WW Clyde, is utilizing the progressive design-build delivery method on the 5600 South project, funded by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).
The reconstruction aims to meet future travel demand while improving safety conditions on the regionally significant arterial. It is expected to be completed by fall 2026.
“The purpose of the project is to alleviate congestion in all movements, including entering and exiting Hill Air Force Base, accessing Riverdale Road and Freeway Park Drive, as well as improve the traffic movements from east to west on 5600 South from I-15 to 3500 West,” said Dan Lowry, Project Manager, Granite Construction.
According to UDOT, there were several intersections along 5600 South in northern Utah that were approaching failing conditions.
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UDOT’s Environmental Assessment study determined that by 2050, most major intersections (3100 West, 2700 West, 2200 West, 1900 West, and Freeway Park Drive) would fail during the morning or evening peak period if no improvements were made.
UDOT crash data also indicated that there were a high number of crashes related to congestion, and the department predicted the number of crashes along the corridor to potentially increase by 2050 as traffic congestion worsens.
A newly designed, single-point urban interchange (SPUI) will be constructed, promoting traffic flow efficiency through the intersection of I-15 and 5600 South.
“5600 South will expand from two lanes with median to four lanes with median,” Lowry said. “This expansion will improve traffic movement from east to west for those trying to access the I-15 corridor.”
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The vital 5600 South corridor also includes the design and construction of an above-grade crossing (pedestrian bridge) to allow for safer crossings at 5600 South compared to an at-grade crossing. In conjunction with the pedestrian bridge, the trail system was also enhanced from 1900 West to 3500 West.
“Freeway Park Drive has also been designed to be a collector road for Freeway Park Drive and the exit ramp for Riverdale Road, as well as adding additional access from Missile Way [Hill Air Force Base] to the local road network,” Lowry said.
East of I-15, 5600 South provides access to Hill Air Force Base (Hill AFB), one of Utah’s largest employers. 5600 South is the only truck access road to the base. Major north-south intersecting roads include 3500 West (SR-108) and 1900 West (SR-126).
The project intends to alleviate congestion, including entering and exiting the base.
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“The 5600 South intersection is a very busy intersection that leads to one of the main gates entering and exiting Hill Air Force Base,” Lowry said. “At peak times, this causes congestion for all motorists.”
“Two main focuses of current construction are the reconstruction of the southbound mainline on I-15 and the north half of 5600 South,” Lowry said.
The I-15 work includes a full roadway reconstruction, as well as the reconstruction of the new I-15 bridge over 5600 South, which crosses over the Union Pacific and UTA rail lines. The project’s other main focus is the north side of 5600 South from 2100 West to 3500 West.
“Throughout the winter, a lot of progress has been made finishing utility construction, allowing for the remaining construction of storm drain, excavation, and aggregate placement in preparation for paving,” Lowry said.
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Approximately 3 miles of 5600 South in Roy will be widened from three to five lanes. Work will include hot mix asphalt (HMA), utilities, curb-gutter-sidewalk, cast-in-place barrier, and mechanically stabilized earth walls.
The Ogden West Haven hot mix asphalt plant will supply approximately 85,000 tons of HMA for the project.
As part of the project, five new bridges will be constructed: one pedestrian bridge, two new mainline I-15 interchange bridges, one off-ramp bridge over the railroad, and one collector-distributor bridge.
The south pedestrian bridge over 5600 South is scheduled to be open to pedestrians in spring 2025.
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In March, crews successfully completed a major component to the project: the installation of bridge girders for the new I-15 structure.
“Recently the girders were set on the southbound mainline I-15 structure,” Lowry said. “These girders are approximately 210 feet in length and among some of the longest steel girders that can be made and set in a single span.”
A total of eight bridge girders were manufactured and installed by Utah Pacific, with each girder weighing approximately 118,000 pounds and spanning 211 feet.
“The reason for the single span length is to accommodat[e] the SPUI, or all the lanes of traffic needed for the proposed traffic configuration beneath the structure,” Lowry said.
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Two large cranes were used to position the beams. Despite colder temperatures, the crews used advanced equipment and techniques to navigate challenging weather conditions while maintaining safety standards.
The project required a pedestrian crossing over 5600 South to ensure safe utilization of the heavily used bike/walking trail.
The trail is in very close proximity to the residential community. The use of standard pile driving methods for construction could have caused some impacts, risk, and disturbance to the adjacent community.
“With much consideration from UDOT, the design team and contractor were given approval to utilize the method of continuous flight auguring [CFA] to construct pile foundations for the pedestrian crossing structure,” Lowry said.
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CFA is known to offer several advantages, including efficiency by allowing for rapid installation, generating low levels of noise and vibration, and maintaining ground stability.
“This required specialized drilling equipment that had not been previously approved by UDOT for construction,” he said.
Using this specialized construction technique, the project team was able to minimize the disturbance to the surrounding public as well as mitigate the risks of conventional pile driving in proximity to existing structures.
Crews are currently constructing around both the I-15 northbound and southbound corridor. Retaining walls are being constructed, and drainage work is being completed. Excavation activities are also underway to prepare for concrete placement for abutments and deck panels.
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The I-15 section of the project has a few more phases yet to be completed, primarily the completion of the southbound mainline.
“Once the southbound side of I-15 is completed, there will be some phasing around work such as final pavement [surface course], barrier placement, permanent striping, etc.,” Lowry said.
From 1900 West to 3500 West on the 5600 South corridor, the Sand Ridge Constructors joint venture is constructing the last phase of work this year.
Next year will also include paving the final surface course, permanent striping, landscaping, and all other miscellaneous work to complete the project.
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“There will be some additional phasing that occurs through the summer of 2025 from 1900 W to I-15 to facilitate the construction of the SPUI,” Lowry said.
“There are always challenges to overcome on a project of this size,” he added. “Some of these challenges have included the design and construction of a complex utility infrastructure while maintaining current connectivity and minimizing impacts to current users.”
“A special thanks to UDOT, Roy City, and the subcontractors,” Lowry said. “There have been many subcontractors that have contributed to the success of the project. Many of those contractors have worked directly for SRC, as well as directly through UDOT while coordinating with SRC schedule. ... It has been a testament to the project team and the delivery process that when goals and objectives are in alignment, big obstacles and issues can be worked through and overcome.”
- Owner: Utah Department of Transportation
- Contractor: Sand Ridge Constructors, a joint venture of Granite Construction and WW Clyde
- Subcontractors: Horrocks Engineering (designer), Gerhart Cole (geotechnical designer), Whitaker Construction (utility work), BHI (utility work), Cache Valley Electric (electrical and sign work), Utah Pacific Girders (steel girders), Malcome Drilling (continuous flight auguring), Geneva Rock (concrete paving), Comers Concrete (cast-in-place barrier)
