Growing Utah County

Decades of Transportation Work Shapes Horrocks and its Homeland

Map of a few of Horrocks' transportation projects in Northern Utah County

A civil firm born of American Fork that now spans the Western U.S., Horrocks remains true to its roots.

Much has changed since the firm was founded in 1968. Back then, Utah County was home to about 140,000 residents and one university, and, aside from the usual main street fare of smallish communities, farmland dominated much of the county.  

By great contrast, what was once a string of tranquil, modest-sized communities along the county’s I-15 corridor is now a bustling network of international business and entrepreneurship, two universities, and hundreds of thousands of students, patrons, residents, and visitors. Utah county's population is now more than five times greater than it was in the late ‘60s, and the county has been one of the nation’s fastest growing counties for many years. With that population increase comes challenges to existing infrastructure. The increasing number of commuters — traveling within the county and north to Salt Lake County — has been straining the aging transportation network.  

Also emerging in the heart of this developing metropolis was Horrocks, well-positioned to help execute the infrastructure improvements necessary to keep pace with the region’s booming growth. Throughout its 57 years, the firm has had the pleasure of helping shape Utah County’s transportation network through countless projects at the municipal, county, and state levels. Most critically, Horrocks helped prepare and support the region through its most pivotal growth period, which hasn’t exactly waned just yet.

Region on the Rise

In the last 25 years, the Greater Wasatch Front has hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics, embraced an enormous tech boon that manifested as the Silicon Slopes, and continuously kept pace with a rapidly increasing population. In the late 1990s, new cities sprang up west of Utah Lake, creating a whole new branch of the county that required even more infrastructure and access roadways. 

For the past 15 years, Utah has been among the fastest-growing states in the U.S. Of that new growth, 64% has landed in Salt Lake and Utah counties, with the latter leading as the state's fastest-growing county. Moreover, Utah County has recently been ranked the 30th fastest-growing county in the nation by the U.S. Census Bureau, a position it has become well acquainted with in recent years.  

The epicenter of this growth has been in northern Utah County, where Silicon Slopes dominates the cityscape. Its nickname a nod to the abundance of tech start-up companies, the area also hosts dozens of medical and business complexes; campuses for major corporations like Adobe, eBay, and Amazon; and a host of retail outlets.

With industry comes populace, and with populace comes the need for added community infrastructure, expanded transportation networks, and large-scale planning to accommodate new and future growth — both commercial and residential.  

The situation presented an immense and quickly escalating challenge, but also an abundance of opportunity for Horrocks and its many partners to help the state find solutions to manage this accelerated growth and enhance the functionality of one of Utah's most important economic sectors.

Work Zones Ahead

Looking back on the last two decades of growth and Utah's response to it, a number of pivotal transportation projects in the northern Utah County region stand out. Reflecting on those projects — most now completed — as a cumulative set, it’s rewarding to see the carefully planned functionality finally in fruition.

Access Utah County

In an aggressive attempt to tackle traffic congestion in multiple areas at once, UDOT bundled six major highway projects together and engaged one program management team to widen SR-92, SR-77, Pioneer Crossing, Geneva Road, and the Vineyard Connector, and also replace a bridge deck in Payson.

As part of this team, Horrocks assisted with preliminary design, structure layouts, survey and traffic modeling in a design-build delivery format. By using one team, UDOT was able to accelerate the construction process for each project and provide congestion relief more quickly to these important east-west connecting roadways.

Aerial view looking down on a portion of the I-15 Tech Corridor

I-15 Tech Corridor

In 2018, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) outlined plans for the I-15 Technology Corridor, which aimed to widen a 4.4-mile segment of freeway between Lehi main Street and Timpanogos Highway/SR-92. As a primary subconsultant, Horrocks provided program management services for design-build delivery to UDOT.

Horrocks assisted with the design of two new lanes in each direction, as well as a complete pavement overhaul for the nearly 5-mile stretch, ending in a six-lane freeway. The project also included two full interchange redesigns at SR-92 and 2100 North, a one-way frontage road system between those two interchanges, 15 bridge replacements, a new flyover ramp at 2100 North, and a new Triumph Boulevard bridge over 1-15. Cyclist and pedestrian trails providing key connections to local trail systems and transit services were also added.

Completion of the I-15 Tech Corridor project closed the gap between the I-15 CORE project to the south and the I-15 Point of the Mountain project to the north, two other major roadway improvements that Horrocks helped design and execute. This chain of critical projects added much needed expansion and increased functionality in a vital economic corridor.

Mountain View Corridor from 2100 N to Porter Rockwell Boulevard

A long-held objective of UDOT’s is now one segment closer to realization: creating a north-south freeway system on Salt Lake County’s west side, running from SR-73 in Utah County northward to I-80.  

Another critical piece of the regional connectivity puzzle, this project creates a western conduit between Utah and Salt Lake counties, primarily serving the new and booming bedroom communities of Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, and Herriman, as well as Camp Williams. Scheduled for completion in 2026, this freeway-style stretch will feature two lanes in each direction and will extend Mountain View Corridor from its present terminus at Porter Rockwell Boulevard to 2100 North in Lehi.  

Horrocks currently serves as Program Manager for this project and assisted UDOT during RFP development and the procurement and contractor selection processes. Horrocks’ structures team provided preliminary design and traffic analyses for a new four-lane divided highway (in preparation for future growth) with signalized intersections, major structures, utilities, drainage, and a multi-use trail system. The team also assisted with public and agency coordination and construction oversight.

Porter Rockwell Bridge

Porter Rockwell Bridge & Boulevard

A pivotal project that would quite literally bridge the gap between east and west in the Bluffdale area was completed in 2022 with the installation of the Porter Rockwell Bridge. Though located in southern Salt Lake County, this bridge facilitates connectivity with northern Utah County and functions as an all-direction connective asset. Horrocks completed an initial bridge study in 2013, an Environmental Assessment for the full corridor in 2015, then developed conceptual designs for 5- and 7-lane alignments and the structure itself. Working closely with UDOT and Bluffdale City to navigate transfer agreements and extensive Transportation Commission protocol, Horrocks successfully pushed this highly complex project forward.

Now complete, Porter Rockwell Bridge and Boulevard connect Mountain View Corridor to I-15, providing a critical link for commuters from Salt Lake County's west side. Prior to construction, 14600 South was the only route between Redwood Road and I-15 and as such, was continuously backed up. In addition to alleviating traffic, this much more direct route saves commuters a substantial amount of time and facilitates easier passage to major employment hubs such as Silicon Slopes and Camp Williams.

Benefiting more than just drivers, the Porter Rockwell Bridge offers new pathways for pedestrians and cyclists, providing new and safe access to the Jordan River Parkway Trail. This pathway is the first ever east-west connection south of 12300 South for non-motorized users and offers a vital juncture over existing utilities. Spanning the Jordan River and the Utah Transit Authority and Union Pacific Railroad tracks, the bridge itself vaunts impressive dimensions and is among the longest and tallest of its kind in Utah, measuring 35 feet long and 65 feet high.

Making Regional Mobility a Reality

Taken together, these projects have substantially improved regional mobility in the North Utah County/South Salt Lake County border region. Consequently, they have also served as economic boosters, facilitating the transportation of employees, goods, and services in an area vital to Utah's economy. Keeping this region humming along is a source of pride for Horrocks, a firm that welcomes any opportunity to make a lasting impact in the place it calls home.