And beginning tonight the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Transit Authority will hold a series of four open houses throughout Utah County and stretching north into Draper to highlight those changes.

The agency is pursuing a massive road-widening project along a 45-mile stretch of Interstate 15 through Utah County that could bring two additional interchanges as well as upgrades to existing interchanges. That move also would add two lanes in each direction through most of Utah County.

Meanwhile, UTA is considering how best to launch FrontRunner, a heavy commuter-rail train that initially would stretch alongside I-15 from downtown Salt Lake City to Provo and eventually could stretch from Pleasant View, north of Ogden, to Payson, south of Provo.

Crews already are working on FrontRunner's first leg from Ogden to Salt Lake City.

It's still early in the process for Utah County - commuter-rail construction could start in 2009 and finish prior to I-15 reconstruction, which would not begin any earlier than 2012. But officials want input now.

"This gives people a chance to say, 'I live here, how will this affect me?' " UTA spokesman Chad Saley said. "We don't want people to come back later and say, 'Why didn't you tell me there would be a train going here?' "

Merrell Jolley, I-15 South project manager, said the two additional interchanges could be located in northern Lehi - about three miles north of Thanksgiving Point near the proposed site of Brandt Andersen's massive Frank Gehry-designed hotel and sports arena - and just north of Orem's Utah Valley State College.

However, the latter comes with alternative options, including a three-mile frontage road.

Jolley said the face-lift is needed to keep pace with Utah County's climbing population, which the state projects will top 800,000 by 2030.

FrontRunner is a diesel locomotive that would run adjacent to I-15, along a right of way UTA purchased from Union Pacific. With fewer stops than TRAX light rail, It could travel up to 79 mph. The distance-based fare is scheduled to be $2.50 to travel to one station, increasing by 50 cents for every additional station.

"The goal is less stops, higher speed," Saley said.

Because FrontRunner is expected to be running before the I-15 reconstruction project, officials hope it will ease congestion during the freeway work.

sgehrke@sltrib.com