This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
State Road 14 east of Cedar City — blocked by a massive landslide in October — is not expected to reopen until just before the July 4 holiday, and could be delayed even longer.
Also, the speed limit through the slide area of that road toward Cedar Breaks National Monument will be reduced from 50 miles per hour to 35 to allow tighter curves in the reconstructed area. That could cut repair costs by half by reducing cuts and fills needed along the canyon there.
The Utah Transportation Commission received that report on Friday, along with some good news that the federal government approved $10 million in emergency funding this week to help with repairs.
Utah Department of Transportation officials said they hope to award a contract by March, have the project under construction in April, allow first access through the slide area before July 4 and then complete the work through the end of the year with intermittent closures.
UDOT officials said that assumes they are able to work out access issues with most landowners without needing to use condemnation powers. If that process is needed, it could delay the project months longer.
UDOT officials had worried they may need to put off other projects to pay for the SR-14 repair, so they were happy to hear about the federal aid — part of $1.6 billion package of grants given to states to help with emergencies.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said when that money was awarded, "Communities from coast to coast are still recovering from disasters that affected the roads they use. ... The Obama administration stands ready to provide emergency relief and reimburse these communities for the work that has been done to restore their critical transportation needs."