Bluff Street project starts nighttime work to stay on schedule

September 19, 2018 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE — In order the keep the Bluff Street project on schedule, nighttime work hours are being added beginning Saturday, according to an update from the Utah Department of Transportation.

Paving the new Bluff Street and Sunset Boulevard intersection at dusk, St. George, Utah, July 2018 | File photo courtesy of the Utah Department of Transportation, St. George News

Nighttime roadwork will consist of paving between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. starting Saturday and carrying through Sept. 30. This may include work on Sunday.

As there will be nightly street closures during paving operations, motorists are asked to allow extra travel time through the project.

Caution is also advised as signals may not be perfectly aligned with the travel lanes during pavement and other operations, according to the project update.

“Please stay aware and be alert as you enter any controlled intersections within the project,” UDOT said in the update.

The Bluff Street widening project is slated to conclude in the fall and is 55 percent complete, according to the project website.

Alternative routes

Individuals who generally use the Sunset Boulevard to Bluff Street to St. George Boulevard corridor as their primary east-west route through town may want to consider Dixie Drive or Valley View Drive connecting to Sunset Boulevard, or Red Hills Parkway connecting to Snow Canyon Parkway as alternate travel routes.

Top: The former configuration of the Bluff Street-Sunset Boulevard intersection. Bottom: The intersection configuration designed to help traffic flow access Sunset Boulevard more easily without as much traffic backup. | Image courtesy of the Utah Department of Transportation, St. George News | Click image to enlarge

Road widening and improvements

Upgrading and improving all utilities that are buried in the current roadway, including storm drain, culinary water, sewer, fiber optics, gas, electrical and an upgraded advanced traffic-management system.
Increasing capacity with additional northbound and southbound lanes from 100 South to 1250 North through this heavily traveled section of road.
Reconfiguring the intersection at Sunset Boulevard and Bluff Street to improve safety and traffic flow and to handle projected traffic increases.
Adding a dedicated right-turn lane from westbound St. George Boulevard to northbound Bluff Street to improve safety and mobility.

State and city road planners have said for years that improvements to northern Bluff Street are needed to better handle current and future congestion that accompany the area’s continuing growth.

Bluff Street carries over 44,000 vehicles every day, with that number expected to climb to 65,000 by 2040 as the population increases from over 150,000 to around 321,000.

Email: mkessler@stgnews.com

Twitter: @MoriKessler