In work that began last summer, UDOT said more than 9,000 feet of median barriers and six new drainage systems were installed on a four-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 6 near Diamond Fork Road. Crash attenuators were also installed at the ends of median barriers, and 29 overhead light poles will be placed in the canyon to improve visibility.

These measures will reduce the severity of crashes and improve driving conditions during storms, according to the department.

“This stretch of U.S. 6 is squarely on our radar,” UDOT Region 3 Director Rob Clayton said in a new release. “These upgrades, and the additional projects now underway, reflect a long-term commitment to tackling known safety risks and reducing serious crashes in the canyon.”

Two additional projects to further enhance safety and traffic flow are starting this year and are scheduled to be completed in 2027. UDOT said it recently began a $53.4 million project near Sheep Creek Road to widen U.S. 6 from two to four lanes and insert a median barrier. Steep curves will also be flattened on the roadway.

This spring, UDOT said it will begin improvements on the U.S. 6 and U.S. 89 intersection in Thistle by constructing a bridge that allows U.S. 89 traffic to go beneath U.S. 6.

More than $110 million is earmarked for near-term safety improvements between Spanish Fork and Helper, according to UDOT.