UDOT: Minor delays expected on I

Jul 15, 2023

Jul 29, 2022, 3:16 PM | Updated: Jul 30, 2022, 10:46 pm

BY MADISON SWENSON & LADD EGAN

KSLTV.com

LEHI, Utah — Officials with the Utah Department of Transportation are warning drivers of some lane closures next week on Interstate 15 near the Tech Corridor in Lehi.

Beginning Monday, Aug. 1, two northbound lanes and one southbound lane will be closed while crews remove 23 light poles.

"There was an issue with the welds—they weren't as deep as they should be," UDOT spokesperson John Gleason told KSL-TV about the poles.

The closures will be in place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1 through Friday, Aug. 5.

UDOT officials said in December 2021, a 120-foot light pole was knocked down on I-15 in Lehi. Twenty-seven light poles of similar size and height were then removed and an investigation into what caused the pole to fall was launched.

"After independent studies revealed all the high-mast light poles were manufactured incorrectly, UDOT has now decided to remove the remaining 80-foot tall poles currently located between the Lehi 2100 North and Main Street interchanges," read a Friday morning press release from UDOT.

UDOT officials said the light poles will eventually be replaced and continue to be inspected annually.

"Anything that we put out on our roads has to be safe, has to be durable and reliable and so when you install these lights as part of a brand-new project, they need to perform," Gleason said.

He said 80-foot poles don't present any short-term safety concerns but that the manufacturing issues could present an issue later on, and UDOT didn't want to take any chances.

All 50 poles are under warranty, which will pay for the replacements.