A driver going south on Interstate 15 through both Salt Lake and Utah counties may face 90 minutes worth of delays Thursday and Friday, thanks to heavy Memorial Day weekend traffic, the Utah Department of Transportation warns.
Northbound traffic through Davis County may take an extra hour, says UDOT spokesman John Gleason.
UDOT says traffic is expected to start building on I-15 as early as noon on both days as vacationers head out of town. It advises leaving early in the morning or later in the evening.
UDOT expects increased holiday traffic from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, with the heaviest delays during the evening commute.
On Monday, returning travelers are expected to create heavy traffic from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. along I-15 south of the Wasatch Front.
UDOT is suspending construction projects around the state to help reduce delays. However, existing lane restrictions or traffic shifts remain in place in some ares in work zones.
Such areas include:
• The I-15 technology corridor in Lehi. Lanes are shifted for construction there, and the speed limit is reduced to 60 mph.
• Interstate 70 between I-15 and U.S. 89. It is reduced to one lane in several locations in that sector. UDOT says drivers should plan for 30-minute delays through that construction zone.
After the holiday weekend, two new projects will affect Wasatch Front drivers. They include:
• On Tuesday in West Jordan, Bangerter Highway will be reduced to two lanes from 9000 South to 7800 South. The closure will continue through July as part of work to build a new freeway-style interchange at 9000 South.
• On Wednesday in Tooele County, Interstate 80 will be reduced to one lane for one week near its interchange with State Road 201. UDOT recommends using S.R. 201 as an alternate route. Crews are completing pavement repairs there as part of a bridge replacement project.