Michael Baker served as the lead designer for the S.R. 172 (5600 West) Railroad Crossing Project. S.R. 172 (5600 West) is a major route located in a key growth area of Utah’s Salt Lake Valley. This corridor sees an average daily traffic of more than 15,000 vehicles, 27% of which are large trucks serving a major shipping area. An at-grade crossing with the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) created hours of delay on this corridor, causing traffic to back up on the two-lane route. Not only were local motorists and interstate commuters impacted, but the ensuing emissions from vehicles were adversely affecting air quality.
Partnering with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Michael Baker led design and engineering services to identify the best solution to address these challenges. The scope of work included widening 5600 West from two lanes to five for the 3-mile section, adding a grade-separated crossing over the UPRR and designing a shared-use path along the newly widened corridor. In addition, the design team realigned 700 South, extended a culvert and revised ramps at the Interstate 80 (I-80) interchange. Full design included alignment and intersection options, roadway, structural, drainage, traffic signals, public involvement, geotechnical design and post-design support during construction.
This project was Utah’s largest project to date in a design-bid-build (DBB) digital delivery (DD) format. During the design process, an innovative shift in alignment for the structure crossing UPRR eliminated utility conflicts and aided in maintaining traffic at the at-grade crossing during construction. This allowed trucks to continue making deliveries to the multitude of warehouses adjacent to the route.
The S.R. 172 (5600 West) Railroad Crossing Project improved safety and traffic flow, benefits that will be felt by stakeholders, including UPRR, trucking companies, businesses and the traveling public, for years to come.