Provo Canyon drivers will wanna mark their calendars and maybe find alternative routes on Dec. 18, 20, and 21. The Utah Department of Transportation has announced that significant delays can be expected on U.S. Route 189 in Provo Canyon due to controlled blasting and excavation work related to the US-189 widening project. On December 18, travelers will be detoured from US-189 between Main Canyon Road and the intersection of State Route 113 in Charleston from 10 to 10:50 a.m. This temporary inconvenience, as crews perform controlled blasting over the hillside, is part of the process to clear the way for new northbound lanes, with more to come in January, according to UDOT News.
The situation grows more complex on Saturday, Dec. 20, with lane closures starting at 9:30 p.m. and then a total closure from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21. Following these operations, one-way alternating traffic with flaggers will be in place until 9 a.m., potentially snarling up early morning commutes. With these interruptions, UDOT suggests altering trip schedules or using different pathways during these affected evening and morning hours, recognizing the squeeze these changes might have on travel plans.
The ultimate objective of the US-189 project is to increase the highway's capacity, thereby improving access and safety for those traveling to and around Deer Creek Reservoir. Once completed, the new northbound lanes will facilitate traffic flow, and then workers will turn their efforts to constructing the southbound lanes, which are anticipated to kick off in the summer of 2026.
In addition to the Provo Canyon work, several other traffic advisories have been issued. Northbound Legacy Parkway will see closures on Thursday and Dec. 18 for pedestrian bridge construction, with recommended detour routes made available. Similarly, closures will impact portions of northbound I-15 in Farmington on the night of Dec. 19 for similar infrastructural improvements, as well as eastbound Interstate 84 in Weber Canyon on Dec. 21 for bridge work, all leading to further alterations to routine commutes and travel within the state.
