A plan to add a traffic signal and raised median where State Route 36 meets Skyline Drive in Tooele has turned a short stretch of Main Street into a long-running argument. Neighbors say the change could finally slow a fast, crash-prone corridor. Small-business owners counter that a new light and lost curb access could strangle their customer flow. Public comments on the project are open through Friday, March 20.
What UDOT Is Proposing
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and Tooele City are backing a raised median along Main Street (SR‑36) from Skyline Drive to just south of 520 South, paired with a new traffic signal at the Skyline Drive/Main Street intersection and crosswalks on the north and east legs of the junction, according to UDOT. The agencies say the project is designed to improve safety and access management after a draft State Environmental Study flagged higher-than-average crash rates at the location. Design and environmental review are wrapping up now, and UDOT lists construction as possible in early summer 2026 if comments and approvals line up.
Neighbors Say The Change Could Save Lives
People who live and work within steps of the intersection told local reporters they are ready for anything that slows cars barreling off the south end of town. "Ever since they’ve developed more homes up on Skyline, the traffic is nonstop," said Emily Wilson, who works nearby, in a report by FOX13. UDOT project manager Dillon Richens has said a signal would "raise awareness" and give pedestrians and bicyclists more time to cross, according to KSL.
Small Businesses Fear Losing Customers
Several business owners see the same project as a direct hit to their bottom line, arguing that a median and signal will erase parking and make quick stop-and-go drop-offs far more difficult. "With putting a traffic light right in front of our business, what that will do will eliminate our parking," Rays Gofer Foods owner Chris Erekson told FOX13. Longtime lot-owner Matt Harris said rerouted traffic could be pushed into nearby neighborhoods. Sunny Center Daycare, set to open soon, says the project would force it to change planned parking and drop-off setups.
Crash Record And Cost
UDOT materials and local coverage report that the intersection’s crash rate is above the state average, with a notable share of nighttime and rear-end collisions. Agencies cited a deadly pedestrian crash last December as part of the rationale for moving forward, according to KSL. The signal project is also listed in regional funding tables: the draft 2026–31 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) includes roughly $1.02 million for a new signal at SR‑36 and Skyline Drive, according to draft documents from the Wasatch Front Regional Council. The funding level and limited footprint point to a short, targeted safety project rather than a full-scale, multiyear rebuild.
How To Weigh In
Public comments are being accepted through Friday, March 20. Residents and business owners can submit written input and review the Draft State Environmental Study on UDOT, or use the project’s hotline and email for questions. UDOT says that if the design moves ahead as planned, construction could begin in early summer 2026.
The Tooele debate captures a familiar tradeoff: relatively quick, data-backed fixes meant to cut crashes versus everyday convenience and curb access for small businesses. UDOT will review comments and finalize its decision this spring before locking in a construction schedule.
