UDOT begins next phase of safety upgrades for Spanish Fork Canyon

SPANISH FORK — The Utah Department of Transportation announced Thursday it had completed safety upgrades along four miles of Spanish Fork Canyon.

The department is launching the next phase of major improvements on U.S. 6, which has seen its share of collisions and fatalities over the years.

"This stretch of U.S. 6 is squarely on our radar," UDOT Region 3 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."

Since last summer, crews installed more than 9,000 feet of median barrier and added six drainage systems near Diamond Fork Road. Other safety upgrades included implementing crash attenuators, which are energy-absorbing cushions placed at the ends of median barriers that wrap around drivers upon impact.

Crews will also be installing 29 overhead light poles to improve nighttime visibility over the next few weeks. Other recent safety enhancements include adjusting speed limits and placing "Prepare to Stop" warning signs near Center Street and U.S. 6 in Spanish Fork.

"These improvements help reduce the severity of crashes and improve driving conditions during storms by better managing water, ice and debris," UDOT said in a statement.

The next two projects starting this year are aimed at improving safety and traffic flow and will be completed in 2027. The first is a $53.4 million effort to widen U.S. 6 from two lanes to four, add a center median barrier, flatten steep curves and revamp the intersection at Sheep Creek Road.

Lane closures and daytime delays of up to 15 minutes are to be expected for drivers passing through the area during construction, UDOT added.

In the spring, UDOT will work on the intersection of U.S. 6 and U.S. 89 in Thistle, extending acceleration and deceleration lanes and constructing a bridge to allow U.S. 89 traffic to pass beneath U.S. 6.

"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," UDOT said.

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