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Show Hopes Increase For fDnampf I Intersection Improvements Survey crews have been busy the past several weeks, and hopes are raised once again for changes on Bthe section of Scenic Highway 12 known as "the dump" and at the intersection of that highway with Highway 63 that leads into Bryce Canyon National Park. Proposed changes include a climbing lane on the dump and straightening of the intersection. Utah Department of Transportation Transporta-tion District Three Director Sterling Ster-ling Davis said Tuesday that a target tar-get date for 1990 to begin work on the two projects is not out of the question. Davis pointed out that when the "awkward intersection" of U-12 and U-13 was designed many years ago, some 90 percent of the traffic at the intersection turned into Bryce Canyon. Since paving of the Boulder Boul-der Mountain Road, 40 percent of the traffic now travels on through the intersection on U-12. Davis noted that traffic over the one-lane bridge on U-12 near Calf Creek came to about 500 cars a day before the Boulder Mountain Road was paved; it has since tripled. The transportation commission has already approved funding for both projects, with only the design of the changes to be worked out. Both projects will be paid for entirely out of state funds, Davis said, with the intersection estimated at $150,000 and a passing lane on the dump at $200,000. Previous surveys in the area re sulted only in layouts based on aerial photos, Davis said, but did not go into detail. In all likelihood, the intersection will be treated almost al-most as a standard intersection, with Scenic Highway 12 traffic routed straight through rather than the awkward left turn for castbound traffic that currently exists. Signing will also be an important impor-tant change at the intersection, with new signs designed to eliminate the present confusion that often confronts con-fronts those encountering the intersection inter-section for the first time. Davis said that he has worked with Susan Colclazer at Bryce Canyon National Park in developing develop-ing tentative plans for the climbing lane. He expects some sort of environmental review will be required re-quired but does not anticipate any real delay, with both projects expected ex-pected to come together this winter. If possible, he said, UDOT would like to combine the two for bidding purposes in hopes of obtaining a better price from contractors, but if delays take place on the dump portion, they will be bid separately when ready. Currently, everything looks favorable fa-vorable for the projects to go ahead with construction slated for 1990. |