WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — In a significant development for transportation in Utah, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has identified a preferred route for the long-awaited Heber Valley Corridor. This major highway project aims to alleviate congestion on Heber City’s Main Street and enhance regional travel throughout the valley, which has been increasingly burdened by traffic as population growth accelerates. During a recent public online presentation, UDOT officials unveiled findings from their draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which examined two build alternatives alongside a 'no action' scenario. The presentation outlined the pressing need for infrastructure upgrades, particularly along U.S. Highway 40, where traffic is projected to worsen dramatically in the coming decades. Current estimates suggest that without significant improvements, travel times from State Route 32 to U.S. 189 could exceed 23 minutes by the year 2050, with Main Street experiencing severe backups during peak traffic hours. Both proposed build options are designed to create a limited-access, free-flow highway that would divert traffic away from Main Street through designated interchanges and ramps. Alternative A proposes to rebuild and widen the existing U.S. 40 north of downtown, rerouting traffic around the western side of Heber City. Although this option would still see Main Street carry a substantial amount of regional traffic, it would necessitate relocating a significant number of homes and businesses, raising concerns among local residents. In contrast, UDOT’s preferred option, Alternative B, is designed to establish a new highway through the northern agricultural fields, allowing the majority of regional and truck traffic to bypass Main Street entirely. This alternative would repurpose the existing U.S. 40 north of downtown into a slower-speed arterial road focused on local access, thereby reducing congestion on Main Street significantly. Both alternatives also include plans for a paved, 12-foot-wide multi-use trail that would run parallel to the corridor, promoting biking and walking in the area. UDOT has selected Alternative B as the preferred option based on its superior performance for both regional and local travel. Traffic modeling indicates that under this alternative, travel time between SR-32 and U.S. 189 would be reduced to approximately six minutes, a substantial improvement from the current average of over 11 minutes and the projected 23 minutes without any new construction. The advantages of Alternative B extend beyond just travel times. UDOT estimates that this route would divert more truck and regional traffic away from Main Street, thereby enhancing the local quality of life. Additionally, it would require fewer relocations—eight homes and businesses—compared to 27 under Alternative A, minimizing the impact on the community. The construction process would also be less disruptive, allowing traffic to remain on U.S. 40 while the new route is developed. However, UDOT acknowledges that Alternative B poses challenges as well. This option is expected to impact more farmland and wetlands in the northern fields. Given the protected status of wetlands, UDOT will be required to restore or preserve at least double the area of wetlands disturbed during construction. Furthermore, the corridor will remain limited-access, with no additional interchanges allowed through the north fields, an effort to mitigate future development pressures. Noise impacts were also a focal point of the evaluation, with more residences potentially affected under Alternative B, particularly in future developments. UDOT has indicated that several noise barriers could be considered in the final design phase, contingent upon further studies and feedback from residents. As part of the process, UDOT has opened a 60-day public comment period on the draft EIS, running from January 9 through March 9. This initiative aims to gather input from the community as UDOT finalizes the project and prepares the final EIS and record of decision. A virtual meeting is scheduled for January 27, 2026, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., followed by an in-person hearing at Wasatch High School Library on January 28, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Currently, construction funding remains uncertain, and timelines for right-of-way acquisition and physical construction are not yet established. For more information and instructions on submitting comments, stakeholders can visit UDOT’s project website, where additional updates and resources are available to the public. As discussions continue, the Heber Valley Corridor project represents a crucial step towards enhancing transportation infrastructure in a rapidly growing area of Utah, balancing the needs of commuters with those of the local community and environment.