Residents decry UDOT plan to divest Alpine Highway

(Daily Herald) UDOT has proposed a road swap with Highland, but some residents are saying the state is just trying to stick Highland with an expensive maintenance problem.

Utah County is looking to widen 4800 West in Highland to a five-lane collector road from Interstate 15 to Alpine. The road will be renamed North County Boulevard. In exchange the state wants to transfer the jurisdiction of the Alpine Highway, also known as State Road 74, to Highland and have offered more than $130,000 to sweeten the deal.

Highland elected officials directed staff to identify the impact and cost of maintaining both 4800 West and the Alpine Highway, which would be presented at the next council meeting. Staff also will invite UDOT representatives to a future meeting to discuss the proposal.

Because there are some federal funds being used on the project, UDOT has a supervisory role, UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson said in an interview. When the widened road is completed, the county intends to turn it over to the state "and we would like to turn over jurisdiction of the Alpine Highway to Highland," he said.

If an agreement can't be worked out with the cities, UDOT will turn to the Legislature to make the switch happen, he said.

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