Hey everyone! Welcome back to another week of news here on Summit in Six! Winter storms churned through the Wasatch this past week. For those powder-hounds out there we hope you’re getting some great skiing and riding in!

In today’s episode, we are going to cover the latest info from UDOT on the Kimball Junction interchange project, announce some appointments to our Board of Health, share council’s decision regarding the Maverick gas station project near Quinn’s Jct. and hear from the County Clerk about how this year’s presidential primary elections went.

Alright, let’s get into the news!

– Kimball Junction Interchange EIS
This week’s council meeting kicked off with an update from UDOT on the Kimball Junction Interchange project. UDOT representatives summarized their most recent progress on the Environmental Impact Statement (also referred to as “EIS”).

But before we get into the weeds of it, let’s take a step back and reiterate what this project is all about: building a gateway corridor into the Park City and Snyderville Basin area that is safe, efficient, and comfortable for all users whether that be in a car, bus, bicycle, or on foot.

We are working towards a solution would accomplish the following:

• Less vehicle queuing on I-80 meaning fewer crashes and saved lives
  

• A more comfortable pedestrian connection to neighborhoods on both sides of SR-224  which would create a more livable community
  
• Faster access to resorts and other destinations in the Wasatch Back which would mean  more economic development and tourism​, and as a result, a successful 2034 Olympics
  

The study began in 2020 and as of this March 2024, UDOT has published the Alternatives Development and Screening Report online and is asking for public input on each of the alternatives they proposed. So this means they’re looking for guidance on what options move forward, are eliminated, or are revised to best serve the community. UDOT is planning to wrap up the study at the end of this year. The detailed evaluation is included in the Draft EIS—All of this is available online at: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov


*Keep in mind that Alternative B, the grade-separated intersections with frontage roads did not continue into this next phase of planning. However, we still want to know if there are aspects from this proposed plan that you liked, for instance: the grade-separated “flyunder”, the public area connecting the neighborhood, or something else! This is your time to share your thoughts.

A quick note about the public comments: We hope everyone takes the time to weigh in. You can  submit your feedback online about different aspects of each design alternative at kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. Making comments to the county or anywhere else like on social media will not be included in the official UDOT record. 

We also want to be clear…this comment opportunity is not a “vote” and we won’t be tallying the number of times a person “likes” an alternative. UDOT is looking for the public to identify characteristics of all alternatives that they’d like to see for the final design and evaluation.

Before we close out on this topic, it is important to note that Summit County is requesting UDOT add the Kimball Junction Interchange to the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) which would mean that this project gets funding with plenty of time for design and construction prior to the 2034 Olympic games. Your comments are really important and have an impact on whether or not this project gets added to the Transportation Improvement Program.

Once again, you can visit: kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov to read more about the project and submit comments.

– Also at Council this week…

• We had some Board of Health re-appointments: so congratulations to Ilyssa Golding and Chris Cherniak. Thanks for your continued service. And congratulations to newly appointed Michelle Downard and Stephen Trapp. All of these terms will expire December 31, 2026.
  
• The council also approved the permit for Maverick to build a Gas Station with a Convenience Store near the Quinn’s Junction interchange off I-40 exit 4.
  
• And lastly, during manager’s comments, Summit County Clerk Eve Furse went over the Presidential primary elections that took place this Tuesday, March 5th. She clarified why the Democratic Party nomination process was through an election process (mail in ballot, in person voting, ballot drop box voting) run through the County Clerk’s office and the Republican Party chose to hold and run their own Presidential Preference Poll through their caucus.