The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest will receive a $11.6 million windfall from the stimulus bill to improve roads, including two in Utah County.

The U.S. Forest Service announced last week it received a total of $1.15 billion as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Of the funds set aside for work in the local forest, about $3.1 million will go to road improvements in Utah County. The stretches to be improved include seven miles along the right fork of Hobble Creek Road, which is east of Springville, and five miles along Santaquin Canyon Road, which connects with the Mount Nebo Loop Scenic Byway.

Forest Supervisor Brian Ferebee said the money will produce two benefits: much-needed improvements to the roads and job creation across the five counties receiving money.

"I would categorize them as roads that we may have done some incremental maintenance on, but not to the degree we've needed to," he said. "In the past we might have done a quarter-mile or a mile of road. It allows us to get to a lot of our high-priority areas."

A Forest Service document puts the estimate for new jobs created by the projects in Utah County at 31.

Combined with the money going to other counties -- Wasatch, Cache, Juab and Box Elder -- about 120 jobs should be created for the work along 165 miles of National Forest System roads, the document states.

Much of the local work will be done by Utah County Public Works, which holds a road maintenance contract with the forest. Public Works Director Richard Nielson said crews could hit the pavement as early as mid-April.

"I know the Forest Service is anxious to get started on it," he said. "If we can get started that early, we're going to shoot for it."

Nielson said the county doesn't plan to do any hiring itself, but the new jobs could be created by contractors hired to work on some parts.

He said the county will be solely responsible for the design work and bidding processes.

Ferebee said the stimulus money doesn't cover other projects the forest needs done, such as improvements to trails, bathrooms and other facilities. He said his staff continues to look for funding sources for some of the other work.

"This money was specifically identified for roads," he said. "We've identified other opportunities that we could pursue with partnerships and create jobs if the opportunities present themselves."

Ferebee said there's enough work in the stimulus projects to keep crews busy for "well over a year."

• Ace Stryker can be reached at astryker@heraldextra.com.

MONEY BY THE NUMBERS

Utah County: $3.1 million for improvements to seven miles of Hobble Creek Road and five miles of Santaquin Canyon Road. An estimated 31 jobs would be created.

Wasatch County: $3.2 million for improvements to 11 miles of Lake Creek Road, 10 miles of Mill Hollow Road, eight miles of co-op Creek Road and four miles of Strawberry River Road. An estimated 32 jobs would be created.

Cache County: $3 million for improvements to roads on fine-grained soils. An estimated 30 jobs would be created.

Juab County: $1.8 million for improvements to 12 miles of the Salt Creek/Bear Canyon Campground Road and weed abatement. An estimated 19 jobs would be created.

Box Elder County: $500,000 for improvements to Willard Mountain Road and Devil's Gate Road. An estimated eight jobs would be created.

Related

• Provo schools making cuts in spite of federal dollars