Draft EIS for Heber bypass pushed until after the holidays, UDOT says

Looking south along Main Street in Heber City, Utah. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

HEBER CITY, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation has again delayed the release of its long-awaited draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Heber City bypass. The project is meant to alleviate traffic on Heber’s Main Street.

In a city council meeting, UDOT project manager Craig Hancock said the internal review of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has taken longer than anticipated, pushing the publication date out past the holidays. He mentioned the delay was also to help give the community time to fully consider the document and give feedback without competing with the holidays.

A draft EIS is a document that analyzes the potential positive and negative environmental effects of a proposed project. It includes an analysis of different alternatives and serves as a tool for public input.

Hancock said the document will be released by UDOT in the first few weeks of January, but did not give a specific date. Public comment will commence for 60 days after the EIS draft is published.

UDOT is still hoping to hold a public meeting as scheduled in the later part of January, day and location to be determined.