Transportation in Utah

The Utah Department of Transportation^[1] is one of the executive agencies which work for the Development of the state transport system. The department looks after the safety and their ultimate goal is to achieve zero injuries, zero crashes and zero fatalities. The department optimizes mobility of traffic by adding roadway capacity and incorporating traffic management strategies and innovative design.

Road Transportation in Utah

The state of Utah consist an extensive network of major roadways. Utah’s road network comprises of Interstate highways, Primary state highways and U.S. highways. The Utah Department of Transportation has taken up several Highway programs like the Adopt-A-Highway Program, Traffic Safety Programs and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

Adopt-A-Highway Program

UDOT initiated the Adopt-A-Highway program that helps to keep the roads of Utah Clean. Adopt-A-Highway is a two-year voluntary commitment program to clean up litter on two miles of highway or state road. Three cleanups are done in a year.

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Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)

The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) of the department is a five-year program of highway and transit projects for the State of Utah. It is daily maintained and also includes transportation projects on the city, state and county highway systems. It also looks after projects on national forests, national parks and Indian reservations.

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Highways in Utah

The State of Utah consists of three numbered highway systems which are the Interstate Highway System, the United States Numbered Highways system or the U.S routes and the state route system. Interstate 15 is the longest Interstate and Interstate 215 is the shortest interstate in Utah. The major interstate highways in Utah are I-15, I-70, I-80, I-84 and I-215.

Interstate 15 (I-15) passes through the entire state, beginning in the south from Saint George, crosses through the middle of the state where it intersects with I-70, and into the Salt Lake Valley to meet with I-80 and I-215.
Interstate 70 (I-70) starts in Utah near Cove Fort, and it does not pass through any major metropolitan areas of the state.
Interstate 80 (I-80) begins from Wendover and passes the Bonneville Salt Flats before entering the Salt Lake Valley.
Interstate 84 (I-84) starts in Snowville and quickly becomes concurrent with Interstate 15 until it splits off in Roy.
Interstate 215 (I-215) is an auxiliary interstate in Utah.

Utah Scenic Byways

The scenic byways of Utah are a system of 27 routes statewide that gives an excellent scenic beauty. The state of Utah has several scenic Byways which are :

Brian Head-Panguitch Lake, Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway, Energy Loop: Huntington & Eccles Canyons, Flaming Gorge - Uintas, Highway 12, All American Road, Logan Canyon, Nebo Loop, Trail of the Ancients, Alpine Loop, Bear Lake, Beaver Canyon, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Capitol Reef Country, Cedar Breaks, Colorado River, Dead Horse Point Mesa, Fishlake, Indian Canyon, Indian Creek Corridor, Kolob Fingers Road, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Markaguant High Plateau, Mirror Lake, Monument Valley to Bluff, Kanab to Mt Carmel and Long Valley, Ogden River, Potash/Colorado River, Provo Canyon and Zion Park.

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Air Transportation in Utah

Utah’s Division of Aeronautics^[2] is responsible for all UDOT transportation issues involving aviation. Utah consists of: 37 General Aviation, 4 Primary, 3 Commercial, and 3 Reliever airports. The primary airports in Utah are Salt Lake City International Airport, Provo Municipal Airport, St. George Municipal Airport and Wendover Airport.

Salt Lake City International Airport

The Salt Lake City International Airport is managed and operated by the Salt Lake City Department of Airports. The airport is served by eight flights which include: Alaska Airlines, Delta, American, Frontier, Southwest, JetBlue, United and US Airport in Utah

Airways. The airport serves about 90 cities with non-stop flights.

Contact Details

Mailing Address
Salt Lake City Department of Airports
P.O. Box 145550
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5550

Street Address
Salt Lake City International Airport
776 North Terminal Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84122
Phone No: 801-575-2400
Toll free: 800-595-2442

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Provo Municipal Airport

The main motive of the Provo Airport is to maintain and operate the airport for the benefit of the people of Provo and Utah Valley by keeping safe operations for general aviation as well as commercial service. The airport has two runways.

Contact Details

Provo Airport
3421 W Mike Jense Parkway
Provo, UT 84601
801-852-6715

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St. George Municipal Airport

Airport in Utah

St. George Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport in the state of Utah. The present airport was opened in the year 2011. Delta Connection and United Express are the two flights served by the airport.

Contact Details

St. George Municipal Airport
4550 S. Airport Parkway
St. George, Ut 84770
Phone no: 435.627.4080

To know more about St. George Municipal Airport Click here.

Rail Transportation in Utah

The Utah Transit Authority^[3] was established in the year on March 2, 1970. Presently, the authority operates about 600 buses and para transit vehicles, 146 light rail vehicles, 63 commuter rail cars and 18 locomotives in over six counties in Utah. The railroad industry in Utah continues to play an important role in the transportation of freight in and through Utah. The railroad industry is an important part of a transportation system of the state. It serves to make Utah an attractive location for industry and business.

Railroads in Utah

There are several Railroads^[4] in the state of Utah. The Railroads in Utah include:

Amtrak service

Amtrak or National Railroad Passenger Corporation, is a government railroad service system in the United States which offers safe, high quality on-time rail passenger service. Amtrak manages and operates several trains daily.

Contact Details:

Customer Care and Reservations: 1-800-872-7245 or 1-800-523-6590
Emergency line: 1-800-331-0008 or Txt-a-Tip to APD11 (27311)

BNSF Railway

Originally known as The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company, the BNSF Railway serves the state of Utah.

The Comstock Mountain Lion Railroad (CMLR)

It is a 15 mile long short line that started it operations in the year 2006 connecting iron ore mines near Cedar City in southwestern Utah with the UP. CML Metals Corporation is the owner of Comstock Mountain Lion Railroad.

The Deseret Power Railroad (DPR)

It is a 33 mile long coal hauling line in Utah that is isolated from the rest of Utah’s and America’s railroad network.

The Heber Valley Railroad (HVRX)

This railroad was originally established in the year 1899 as a branch of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. The line was abandoned in the year 1967. The upper end of the line was reopened in 1970 as the “Heber Creeper” tourist railroad, and in the early 1990’s was given its present name.

The Salt Lake City Southern (SL) Railroad

This railroad started its service in the year 1993 as a RailTex subsidiary and it is presently owned and operated by Genesee & Wyoming, Inc.

The Salt Lake, Garfield & Western (SLGW) Railway

This railway line traces back to 1891 when it served resorts at the south end of the Great Salt Lake. The railway line today provides freight service to warehouses and industries.

The Savage, Bingham & Garfield Railroad (SBG)

This railroad started its freight operations in the year 2007 on the southwest side of the Salt Lake Valley, over portions of the UP’s former D&RGW Bingham and Garfield branches.

The Union Pacific Railroad

It is the dominate rail carrier in Utah. It owns and operates about 1,249 of the 1,343 freight railroad miles in Utah.

The Utah Central Railway (UCRY)

This railway started its operations in the year 1992 as a shortline railroad that operated on the northwest side of Ogden over former SP/D&RGW and UP industrial and branch line trackage.

The Utah Railway

It is a Genesee & Wyoming shortline railroad in Utah that interchanges with UP and BNSF. This railway was originally created in 1912 to access coal mines in Carbon County near Price in Utah.

Passenger Rails in Utah

The Heber Valley Historic Railroad Authority is an independent state agency in the state that maintains and operates historic and scenic railroads in and around Heber Valley. The railroad of Heber Valley is a tourist railroad that functions from Heber City in Wasatch County to Vivian Park in Utah County. TRAX light rail, Front Runner commuter rail and Street Car Front Runner commuter rail service is currently operated by the Utah Transit Authority.

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