1 / 4

Families who lost loved ones at the Thistle Junction celebrate the completed interchange Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, in Spanish Fork Canyon.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

2 / 4

Families who lost loved ones at the Thistle Junction step through the completed underpass Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, in Spanish Fork Canyon.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

3 / 4

A woman who lost a loved one at Thistle Junction is on hand to see the new interchange Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, in Spanish Fork Canyon.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

4 / 4

A new interchange at Thistle Junction is shown Thursday. Nov. 12, 2026.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

The point where U.S. 6 and U.S. 89 meet in Spanish Fork Canyon, Thistle Junction, is one of the most dangerous intersections in the state, with five fatal crashes occurring at or near the junction resulting in eight fatalities since 2003.

At long last, a solution to the dangerous left-hand turn from U.S. 89 onto U.S. 6 has arrived.

UDOT celebrated Thursday the upcoming opening of the new Thistle Junction interchange, which is slated to open to travelers later this month. The addition of a new underpass will allow vehicles to merge on and off the highway using new ramps with longer acceleration and deceleration lanes.

On hand for the occasion were several families that lost loved ones in fatal accidents at the intersection and have since advocated for greater road safety in the canyon.

Amy Marcus lost her 16-year-old daughter, Katie, and 12-year-old son, Taylor, when they were driving home to South Ogden from their grandparents home in Mt. Pleasant in 2014. Marcus said her children loved life and were best friends who were inseparable, doing everything together.

She met with UDOT a few years before the project started and gave them the idea for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. She suggested they invite the families of those who have lost loved ones to the event.

That came to fruition Thursday. Instead of a ribbon cutting, families sounded bullhorns, then took the first steps through the underpass. Marcus was happy to see the completed project.

“They did such a good job,” she told the Daily Herald. “It’s a huge relief knowing that no one can die again taking a left-hand turn.”

Saving lives was the primary objective in the interchange’s construction, according to project manager Tyler Faddis. Living in Sanpete County, Faddis said he frequently uses the interchange himself and said it will make a big difference for Sanpete and Carbon County commuters. 

“This intersection can get dangerous at times, having to travel through traffic, and it is amazing what this project will do to save lives,” Faddis said. 

The project started in April, and nine months were shaved off the projected construction time so the interchange could be ready in time for the 2026-2027 winter. Faddis said the design engineer brought in additional resources to make it happen, and the contractor was incentivized to meet the early date.

“With the collaboration and the partnering between UDOT, the design engineer and the contractor, it all came together very well,” he said.

Faddis said incoming weather could slow down the opening of the interchange but that they’re hoping to see traffic pass through it within a week.