SALT LAKE CITY, UT — The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has completed safety upgrades along approximately 4 miles of U.S. Highway 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon and is beginning two major construction projects to significantly improve safety and traffic flow in the area.
Since last summer, UDOT crews have installed more than 9,000 feet of median barrier and added six new drainage systems near Diamond Fork Road. These improvements help reduce the severity of crashes and improve driving conditions during storms by better managing water, ice, and debris.
Crews have begun installing 29 new overhead light poles to improve nighttime visibility through the canyon.
Crash attenuators — energy-absorbing cushions placed at the ends of median barriers that wrap around a driver upon impact — were also installed as part of the project. These features are designed to absorb the force of a crash, helping slow vehicles and reduce the risk of serious injuries.
“This stretch of U.S. 6 is squarely on our radar,” UDOT Region Three Director Rob Clayton said. “These upgrades, and the additional projects now underway, reflect a long-term commitment to tackling known safety risks and reducing serious crashes in the canyon.”
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Building on those efforts, two major construction projects starting this year will continue UDOT’s long-term safety improvements along U.S. 6.
One project recently began near Sheep Creek Road. The $53.4 million project will widen U.S. 6 from two lanes to four, add a center median barrier, flatten steep curves, and improve the intersection at Sheep Creek Road.
Later this spring, construction will begin to improve the U.S. 6 and U.S. 89 intersection in Thistle, Utah. The project will create longer acceleration and deceleration lanes and separate traffic by constructing a bridge that allows U.S. 89 traffic to pass underneath U.S. 6. Both projects are expected to be completed in 2027.
Over the past two decades, UDOT has invested heavily in improving safety along U.S. 6 and will continue to prioritize future upgrades. More than $110 million is currently programmed for near-term safety improvements between Spanish Fork and Helper, along with nearly $20 million for pavement preservation projects between Wellington and I-70.
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Other recent safety enhancements include adjusted speed limits and new “Prepare to Stop” warning signs near Center Street and U.S. 6 in Spanish Fork, Utah.
