The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is currently investigating alternatives to alleviate congestion at the interchange of I-15 and 24th Street in Ogden, Utah. Currently the interchange is a half interchange with an on ramp northbound and off ramp southbound.
Ogden City is in the process of revitalizing the downtown area and has requested UDOT to evaluate the need for a full interchange to support their economic growth and the associated traffic growth.
PEC is preparing an Environmental Assessment that will determine if a revision to the existing interchange is needed. The EA will also investigate what impacts would be associated with the Preferred Alternative. Several alternatives have been evaluated to find a Preferred Alternative that meets the needs of the community along with the transportation needs of I-15 and the local businesses. Eventually the EA will determine if a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate or if the project should be elevated to an EIS. As part of this Environmental Assessment the PEC team has analyzed air quality, noise, wetlands, threatened and endangered species, environmental justice communities, and cultural resources such as historical homes.
Two major portions of this Environmental Assessment were the development of a Memorandum of Understanding with two railroad agencies, Utah Central Pacific (UCRY) and Utah Pacific Railroad (UPRR). This task included track re-alignment and coordination with property owners and businesses served by the railways to find an acceptable solution for the new tracks. In addition to the MOU, the PEC team created a Conceptual Access Justification Report (CAJR) for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that explained the various alternatives and eventually the preferred alternative that justified a change in access points on I-15.