The plan contains a comprehensive list of potential new roadways, increased public transit services and active transportation proposals from Logan to St. George, breaking them down into three phases and a list of needed but unfunded projects.

LaNiece Davenport, metropolitan planning organization director for the Mountainland Association of Governments, said the Unified Transporation Plan is unique to Utah because it’s the only state where state and regional agencies come together and make a comprehensive plan.

The plan is created based on the needs of the state’s growing population, Davenport said, with agencies prioritizing some projects in phases due to financial constraints.

“We always have more need in terms of transportation, always, always,” she said. “Our growth rates … make it really hard for our transportation facilities and projects to keep up with the growth.”

Projects in the plan that are labeled “fiscally constrained” are ones that officials anticipate there will be funding for based on revenue projections, Davenport said, but that doesn’t guarantee the project will get funded.

To bring projects to fruition, things like an environmental study are needed to understand the scope of the project and then, of course, they need to find the money, she said.

For Utah County, some projects listed in Phase 1 — which would be for 2023-2032 — are a FrontRunner extension from Provo to Payson, spot improvements on Interstate 15 and a few road-widening projects.

There are also several proposals addressing active transportation needs, such as new and connecting paths on the Utah Lakeshore trail and various new pathways and bike facilities throughout the county.

The FrontRunner extension into southern Utah County is a project Davenport is most excited for, as she said the county can’t address all its transportation needs through roads.

“We have to think about a multimodal transportation network,” she said. “And so having transit, you know, being a FrontRunner or commuter rail system further to the south that more people can use is amazing.”

Other potential projects listed in Phases 2 and 3 include some widening of I-15, bus rapid transit on State Street and new expressway corridors connecting Saratoga Springs to cities like Pleasant Grove and Orem.

The plan also includes projects that agencies believe are needed but, based on projected income, there currently isn’t funding for.

One notable project that is listed as needed but with “no assumed funding” is a freeway bridge across Utah Lake to connect the west side of the valley to the east side, with three possible options for a potential bridge.

Davenport said the county needs as many east-west corridors as possible, but they are focusing on other routes before prioritizing bridges across the lake.

Other needed projects without funding include light rail from Lehi to Provo, an expressway going over Provo Bay and down south through Benjamin, and rail electrification on the FrontRunner line.

While there may not be funding during the time frame of the plan for these projects, Davenport said there is the possibility of them being funded after 2050 or even sooner if funding becomes available.

Current projections for funding, according to the unified plan’s website, are based on revenue streams like fuel and sales tax, vehicle registration fees, and funding from the state Legislature and the federal government. The federal government also has a variety of grants, Davenport said, such as through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.

Residents can explore the various projects at unifiedplan.org using an interactive map that was created to visualize the plan.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly described tentative options for motorist travel across Utah Lake. The Unified Transportation Plan presents three possible routes for a bridge over the water, though only one would be selected.