Background

Utah's first Progressive Design-Build (PDB) project, the US-89; Farmington to I-84 PDB effort was the largest undertaking by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) in more than a decade and introduced a new and innovative way of delivering construction projects in the state. The heavily traveled corridor, located north of Salt Lake City, was supporting nearly 40,000 vehicles each day and had long been an area of high traffic congestion and crashes.

Project Details

With safety and mobility as driving forces, Horrocks designed a 9-mile stretch of highway to create a six-lane, grade-separated expressway featuring four interchanges with on- and off-ramps. The project included installation of six bridges, and the addition of pedestrian and bike trail access points. the project's scale required a significant number of utility relocations, and right-of-way (ROW) acquisitions and relocations.

Outcomes

This project highlights the value of stakeholder input, which altered the ultimate design, taking the roadway from above-ground to the subterranean. Stakeholder involvement also resulted in a new and contiguous active transportation pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists alongside US-89. Perhaps most importantly, as Utah's first Progressive Design-Build effort the project serves as a model for future PDB work, whereby flexibility and expertise can aid in elevating the standard of engineering services.

Awards:

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Utah, Engineering Excellence Grand Award, 2024 

American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) National, Engineering Excellence Recognition Award, 2024