This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Same-day celebrations are scheduled Saturday for completion of two of the state's biggest highway projects ever — the $1.1 billion rebuilding of Interstate 15 in Utah County, and the initial $730 million phase of the Mountain View Corridor Highway in western Salt Lake County.
The first celebration is at 10 a.m. for the Mountain View Corridor on that new road (about 5700 West) at 9000 South. After a ribbon cutting, the Utah Department of Transportation is offering a "Polar Bear 5k Fun Run" to let people run on the new road before they can drive on it.
At about 2 p.m., traffic will open on the last section opening, for now, of that highway — between the Old Bingham Highway and 5400 South.
Earlier this year, other sections opened from about 16000 South to the Old Bingham Highway. Much of the initial phase is essentially two widely separated, one-way frontage roads for a future freeway that eventually will be built between them.
The Mountain View Corridor Highway will eventually run 35 miles between Interstate 80 in Salt Lake County and Lehi.
The second ceremony on Saturday is at 1 p.m. at the Sam White Bridge (about 1100 South) over I-15 in American Fork. Gov. Gary Herbert and other officials are scheduled to be on hand for remarks and an official ribbon-cutting. All lanes were opened on the project last month, although some finishing work has continued through this week.
The I-15 rebuild added two lanes in each direction along a 26-mile stretch from Lehi to Spanish Fork, rebuilt 10 freeway interchanges and replaced or modified 63 bridges.