SR-224 construction ramps up this spring

A map presented to the Summit County Council on Wednesday shows five segments of SR-224 scheduled for construction in 2026, stretching from Kimball Junction to Park City. Work on most segments is expected to run from April into November. Photo: High Valley Transit

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Construction on the SR-224 bus rapid transit project is expected to begin in April, with work planned along several segments of the corridor from Kimball Junction to Park City as High Valley Transit prepares for a new season of roadwork, traffic management, and public outreach.

High Valley Transit and its project team updated the Summit County Council on Wednesday, outlining a 2026 construction schedule that runs from April into November, depending on the segment. Officials said two lanes of traffic in each direction are expected to remain open during the day, construction will pause on major summer holidays, and no work is anticipated from December through March.

Work is scheduled from April to November between Olympic Boulevard and Bear Hollow Drive and between Silver Springs Road and Canyons Resort Drive; from April to May between Meadows Drive and Kearns Boulevard; from April to September at the Box of Rocks intersection; and from August to November between McPolin Barn and Holiday Ranch Loop Road. Officials said the timing could shift because of weather or equipment supply.

The update also underscored what may be the project’s central tension: Officials are framing SR-224 construction as manageable, but the scale of work planned across multiple segments of one of the region’s busiest corridors points to significant disruption for commuters, residents, and businesses over the next several years. Outreach will include mailers, a hotline, email and text updates, a project website, social media, and in-person visits. Notices are expected to go out two weeks before new activity begins, with traffic alerts and variable message signage one week before changes, and 72- and 48-hour notice before planned utility or access interruptions.

The breadth of that communication plan signals the impact officials anticipate — and aligns with earlier reporting on likely disruption along the corridor. TownLift reported that work is expected to continue through 2027, followed by cleanup, landscaping, and final striping in 2028. That story also noted that traffic would be shifted into existing medians in some areas, allowing crews to work on one side of the road while keeping two lanes open in both directions.

The update marks another step in a project that has evolved over years of planning, design revisions, and early construction. In February 2025, TownLift reported that local officials were still weighing route design options and broader corridor impacts. By June, the debate had shifted to design tradeoffs, including whether removing portions of the landscaped median could reduce widening and shrink the project footprint. In August, early work began on storm drains, fiber, and utility improvements ahead of the broader construction push now set for 2026.

Wednesday’s presentation signaled a more decisive shift from planning to implementation. Officials said the project has reached 100% design, that properties needed for 2026 work have been cleared for construction, and that a public project name will be announced on April 3, followed by a construction open house on April 7.

A 19-member Community Advisory Board will begin meeting on March 24 to relay concerns, evaluate responsiveness, and communicate schedule updates to businesses, residents, and user groups.

For drivers and nearby businesses, the message from Wednesday’s update was straightforward: A long-planned transit project is entering a more visible and disruptive phase, with corridor work set to ramp up this spring.