The environmental assessment states that improvements are being sought to address poor system linkage between I-84, Trappers Loop Road and state Route 167, which UDOT notes “is not consistent with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidance” as it directs regional traffic from the interstate onto local roadways not designed to accommodate it.

“This functional relationship is not adequate to serve local and regional travel needs now and would not be adequate to meet future travel needs through 2050,” the assessment stated.

An online public hearing will be held via Zoom at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Attendees will receive a link to join by registering on the study website, https://udotinput.utah.gov/s7508/. That will be followed by an in-person hearing in Morgan County on Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Mountain Green Middle School, located at 6200 N. 5000 West in Mountain Green.

Meanwhile, public comment will be accepted through May 8 and may be submitted in person at hearings, by emailing i84mountaingreen@utah.gov, by using a form on the study website or by sending a letter to I-84 Mountain Green EA Team, 6605 S. Redwood Road, Suite 200, Taylorsville, UT 84123.

The proposed action includes:

• Building a four-way, signalized intersection with pedestrian phasing and crosswalks at SR-167/Old Highway Road and extending Trappers Loop Road from that point south to connect with I-84.
• Building a full access interchange with on- and off-ramps in the eastbound and westbound directions at I-84 tying into the Trappers Loop extension.
• Closing the I-84/SR-167 interchange at Exit 92 by removing the westbound on-ramp and eastbound off-ramp.

The proposed action would also require removal of the westbound I-84 Mountain Green Rest Area. Other proposed improvements include the addition of active transportation features on the Trappers Loop extension (i.e., a 12-foot-wide shared-use path on the west side and a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the east side) as well as the incorporation of “forward-compatible design elements” to the bridge span over Cottonwood Creek, allowing for access to a potential future shared-use trail along the creek.

Potential environmental factors/consequences include the partial acquisition of 11 properties (no residential or commercial relocations are expected), some rezoning, increased traffic noise in some areas, short-term impacts on air quality during construction and the potential occurrence of Ute ladies’-tresses — a federally-listed threatened flower species — and monarch butterflies within the project area.

Per the report, UDOT surveyed 27.8 acres of suitable habitat for Ute ladies’-tresses in May, June and August 2024 to identify blooming plants and identified none.

The environmental assessment can be viewed in its entirety on the study website.