H.J.R. 13

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RESOLUTION URGING IMPROVEMENTS ON
2 HIGHWAY 6
3 1998 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Brad King
6 Glenn Way

7 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE STRONGLY URGING THE UTAH
8 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PLACE SUFFICIENT PRIORITY ON
9 IMPROVEMENTS TO HIGHWAY 6 BETWEEN SPANISH FORK AND PRICE TO BEGIN
10 FUNDING OF IMPROVEMENTS DURING THE 1998-99 FISCAL YEAR.
11 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 WHEREAS in 1993 a feasibility study on constructing a four-lane highway on U.S.
13 Highway 6 and State Route 14 between Price and I-15 at Spanish Fork was completed;
14 WHEREAS from 1994 to 1996, 961 automobile accidents occurred on Highway 6 between
15 Price and Spanish Fork;
16 WHEREAS since 1993, there have been 23 fatalities at the scene of accidents on Highway
17 6 between Price and Soldier Summit;
18 WHEREAS since 1993, there have been over 40 fatalities at the scene of accidents on
19 Highway 6 between Soldier Summit and Spanish Fork;
20 WHEREAS from 1994 to 1996, another 21 people injured in accidents along Highway 6
21 between Price and Spanish Fork died either during transport to the hospital or at the hospital;
22 WHEREAS in 1997 alone there were 22 traffic fatalities on Highway 6 between Spanish
23 Fork and Price, by far the most deadly year on the highway;
24 WHEREAS there have already been five traffic fatalities in 1998, which is ahead of last
25 year's record pace;
26 WHEREAS Highway 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon, where most of these fatalities

1 occurred, is by far the most dangerous road through any canyon along the Wasatch Front;
2 WHEREAS driver error contributes to these tragedies, the design of Highway 6 leaves no
3 margin for that error;
4 WHEREAS the canyon's mostly two-lane ribbon of asphalt, long stretches and changing
5 grades combine with heavy truck traffic to cause problems for even the canyon's most frequent
6 travelers;
7 WHEREAS recreational vehicle traffic in the summer compounds the effects of the already
8 heavy truck traffic;
9 WHEREAS the Utah Department of Transportation should consider accident and fatality
10 data as factors in determining which roads receive funding priority;
11 WHEREAS an upgrade of Highway 6 through Spanish Fork Canyon should be given
12 sufficient priority by the Utah Department of Transportation to ensure funding in the 1998-99
13 fiscal year;
14 WHEREAS the Utah Department of Transportation should study the feasibility of
15 establishing a toll road on Highway 6 to aid funding of improvements; and
16 WHEREAS Highway 6 improvements are the key to significantly reducing the number of
17 traffic fatalities in Spanish Fork Canyon:
18 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah strongly
19 urge the Utah Department of Transportation to give Highway 6 improvements, particularly through
20 Spanish Fork Canyon, sufficient prioritization to ensure that improvements will begin to be funded
21 in the 1998-99 fiscal year.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Utah Department of Transportation study the
23 feasibility of establishing a toll road on Highway 6, and report to the Legislature prior to the 1999
24 Annual General Session.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Utah
26 Department of Transportation, the Utah County Commission, the Carbon County Commission,
27 and the cities of Price, Helper, Spanish Fork, and Springville.


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Legislative Review Note
as of 1-13-98 8:34 AM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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