UDOT responds to community pushback on Heber Bypass alternative; public comment ends March 9

A vintage postcard showing the Northfields. Photo: Utah Open Lands

HEBER CITY, Utah — Following a weekend protest and pushback from Wasatch Back leaders and residents, the Utah Department of Transportation says community feedback will play a key role in determining the future of the proposed Heber Valley bypass.

Hundreds of residents gathered in Heber City last weekend for a “tractorcade” protest opposing UDOT’s preferred route for the long-discussed bypass project. The convoy of tractors, trucks, horses, and pedestrians rolled through the North Fields, where UDOT’s preferred alternative would build a four-lane highway west of downtown.

The project is intended to reduce congestion on Heber City Main Street and improve safety as population and traffic continue to grow across Wasatch County.

UDOT spokesperson John Gleason said the agency welcomes the strong response from the community during the current public comment period, which runs through March 9.

Gleason said all comments will be reviewed before the agency determines the next steps.

“We’ll evaluate the public comments that we receive and come up with a plan based on those comments,” he said. “There are so many people who live here and care about this area, and there are passionate views in every direction.”

He encouraged residents to submit formal feedback if they feel something has been overlooked.

“If there’s something people feel like we’ve missed or want us to take a closer look at, that’s absolutely something we want to learn more about. . . . We want to work together on solutions for the future with everyone here,” Gleason said.

Why UDOT selected Alternative B

In January, UDOT identified Alternative B as its preferred route for the bypass. The route would divert traffic west through the North Fields before reconnecting with U.S. 40 and U.S. 189 south of town.

Transportation officials say the project is designed to address worsening congestion on Heber City’s Main Street, which currently functions as a regional trucking corridor.

“Anybody that’s not looking to stop in Heber would be able to get around town without having to go through Main Street,” Gleason said. “It takes that heavy truck traffic off of Main Street and hopefully restores it to more of the feel that people want in a downtown.”

Without improvements, traffic models show travel times on U.S. 40 through the valley could more than double by 2050, with backups stretching for miles, according to UDOT.

The bypass would also include frontage roads and a multi-use trail and would be built as a limited-access corridor, meaning no additional interchanges would be allowed through the North Fields.

UDOT officials have said the route would require fewer home and business relocations than another option, Alternative A, but it would impact more farmland and wetlands in the North Fields.

Community concerns focus on North Fields

Opponents argue the project could damage one of the valley’s most iconic landscapes, which includes farmland, wetlands, and a shallow aquifer that supports irrigation and drinking water.

Organizers behind the tractorcade said they fear the highway could disrupt irrigation systems and introduce pollutants into groundwater supplies.

Some residents also question whether the benefits of the bypass justify the potential environmental impact.

Others, including some local officials, have argued that traffic congestion on Main Street has reached a point where major improvements are necessary.

What happens next

After reviewing public input, UDOT expects to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision by summer 2026, which will determine the final corridor alignment.

Even after a route is selected, the project would still face years of design, funding, and construction planning before work could begin.

For now, Gleason said the agency is focused on working with residents and local leaders to find a path forward.

“This is one of the most beautiful areas of our state,” he said. “We want to do everything that we can to help protect and preserve that beauty while also balancing it with some of the real world concerns and the growth that we’re seeing.”