SMITHFIELD – Officials of the Utah Department of Transportation have announced a delay in their plans to replace a box culvert on Summit Creek in Smithfield.
“This has been an unusually wet winter with a large snowpack in our mountains and an extremely high snow-water equivalent,” according to Sam Winkler, the UDOT project’s manager for public outreach, explaining the delay.
While that may be considered good news by local water managers in the midst of Utah’s historic drought, that snowpact has raised concerns for state officials.
In mid-December, UDOT announced plans to disrupt traffic on Main Street/U.S. 91 through Smithfield from January through April in order to replace the Summit Creek culvert under that thoroughfare.
Then the record snow began to fall in the mountains of northern Utah, giving state officials reason to reconsider those plans.
Those weather conditions are now causing concerns about the snowpack’s eventual melting in the spring and the resulting potential for increased water flow through Summit Creek.
After weighing the risk of safety issues for state workers, nearby residences, local businesses and other users of creek’s waters, UDOT officials have decided to postpone the project.
State officials had originally planned to replace the existing Summit Creek box culvert that crosses beneath Main Street/U.S. 91 in Smithfield near 100 North beginning in January.
The scope of that project would have included replacing the culvert and related work along Summit Creek as well as replacement of the asphalt road surface and concrete sidewalks at the crossing point.
State managers were predicting that the project would require lane closures and shifts in traffic patterns.
They also warned that passing motorists in Smithfield could expect delays of up to 15 minutes Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Given the volume of traffic on U.S. 91, back-ups of miles in length were anticipated, especially during rush hours.
Work to replace the box culvert is now expected to begin in the late summer of 2023, although state officials added that construction dates are subject to change due to weather, equipment availability and other circumstances.
In the meantime, interested parties can obtain more information about the Summit Creek Culvert Replacement project from its website at https://udotinput.utah.gov/smithfieldculvert
Anyone with concerns about the project can reach out to UDOT officials by calling the project hotline at 888-752-8789 or by E-Mail to smithfieldculvert@utah.gov