One of the city’s busiest intersections is becoming much safer. A new traffic light is being added to 100 South and 300 West. This road is also State Highway 113 and is managed by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT). The department has been doing a “warrant study” to determine if there was a need in that location, and their analysis showed that the stoplight was necessary to maintain the safety of the road. UDOT is also adding left-turn lanes on 100 South and crosswalks in all four directions.
“These added safety features just make that intersection safer for everyone who uses it,” said UDOT spokesperson Geoff Dupaix. “It makes it a lot more traffic and pedestrian-friendly.” This intersection is currently used for school crossing and is also a main connection point between Heber and Midway.
This area has an interesting potential future. The area is zoned as R-3, with an RC Overlay Zone. An R-3 zone is generally located near the main city area, and can have single-family homes, but also apartments and community facilities. Usually, commercial business is not allowed. However, the RC Overlay Zone provides some additional uses for the area. This residential/commercial overlay corridor runs along 100 South, from 100 West to 100 South.
The RC Overlay is still primarily residential, but it allows for limited types of businesses. Any commercial use, however, must maintain a residential look through small, individual, historic-looking buildings. Currently, the only business on the intersection is the Heber Senator Bed and Breakfast, housed in the 1902 Joseph Murdock home.
According to Dupaix, future possibilities were not a factor in this particular situation. However, UDOT is constantly collecting data on all their state roads to measure how well their transportation system is working. The new stoplights should be in operation on Monday.
