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Bangerter Highway and Davis County's U.S. 89 will soon become more like true freeways under plans released Friday by the state Transportation Commission.
And preliminary planning funding is proposed for the West Davis Corridor freeway, which is on hold while the state explores alternatives.
The details emerged as the commission outlined how it intends to spend an expected $1.6 billion from 2019 through 2022 that is earmarked to increase capacity on Utah highways. Previously, the panel approved funding plans through 2018.
The latest proposal calls for spending $159 million through 2022 to convert three intersections on Bangerter Highway into freeway-like interchanges at 5400 South in Taylorsville, 7000 South in West Jordan and 11400 South in South Jordan.
It also calls for spending $275 million through 2021 to convert U.S. 89 into a near-true freeway between Kaysville's Main Street and Interstate 84.
Another $500 million outlay through 2020 is planned to expand the Mountain View Corridor highway to State Road 201 (about 2100 South).
Mountain View currently runs from Bluffdale to 5400 South in Kearns. It is envisioned as a future freeway, but its early phases have essentially built what are multiple-lane future frontage roads on much of the stretch.
Also included in plans are spending a projected $450 million to rebuild Interstate 15 from State Road 92 in Lehi to Lehi's Main Street. Another $150 million is planned to improve I-15 between the Davis-Weber county line to Interstate 84.
Some $20 million is proposed in 2019 to add passing lanes at numerous places along U.S. 40 in the Uinta Basin.
The commission also included $10 million for preliminary engineering in 2019 for the controversial, proposed West Davis Corridor freeway.
The Utah Department of Transportation technically has not decided whether to build the West Davis Corridor. After public and federal government opposition, it delayed adopting an environmental impact statement that had recommended a route in order to study possibly eliminating the freeway in favor of road improvements and transit.
UDOT is scheduled to announce decisions about that corridor later this summer. But the commission on Friday, in separate action, also considered spending $1 million to obtain several properties needed to preserve that corridor's right-of-way.
The commission plans to accept public comment on its plans before finalizing them in coming months.