5400 S. lanes are changing their way

The Utah Department of Transportation has decided to go a different direction with 5400 South.

Or different directions.

UDOT has eyed 5400 South, between Redwood Road and Bangerter Highway, as a prime location for reversible lanes, which will be called "Flex Lanes."

If you've ever driven on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Tappen Zee Bridge outside of New York City, or 16th Street and Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., then you're familiar with reversible lanes. They're in dozens of cities, actually.

During morning rush hour, reversible lanes lead traffic toward the city. Those same lanes have traffic escaping the city during afternoon rush hour. Electronic signs help drivers keep the directions straight.

UDOT has designed reversible lanes for 5400 South to alleviate congestion in the area. In 1999, 38,500 vehicles per day traveled 5400 South. This year, the road averages 46,000 vehicles a day. By 2030, it will be 68,000 a day, according to UDOT estimates.

There isn't much room to widen the road, as the area between Redwood and Bangerter is mostly developed.