SERVICES PROVIDED
- National Environmental Policy Act analysis
- Preliminary design
- Planning
- Public involvement
- GIS/database development and maintenance
URS prepared the 11400 South Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Utah Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to address transportation issues in the South Valley area of Salt Lake County, Utah. The URS team analyzed the current and projected traffic in the area. As a result of the EIS, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Record of Decision to construct a new freeway interchange and a river crossing, and to widen the existing roadway facility from two to five lanes.
With innovative methods of involving the public in the EIS process, URS was able to engage a broad range of potentially affected groups and ensure that their concerns were both recognized and addressed. Doing so enabled the team to determine the purpose and need, develop a range of possible alternatives, and select the preferred alternative with the broad backing of the community at large.
While an EIS often takes between three and five years, the URS team was able to complete this project in less than two and a half years. The 11400 South EIS will help speed the start of the design and construction of the transportation project. The completed project will meet the transportation needs in the area through the year 2030.
This project was awarded a 2006 ACEC-Utah Engineering Excellence Grand Award.