In a media release issued Thursday, Lehi announced that it’s getting closer to securing federal funds that, in part, would allow the city to conduct an environmental study to better understand how to combat traffic congestion.

The House and Senate appropriations committees recently approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriation Bills, which include $2.5 million for a critical congestion mitigation study in Lehi, according to the media release.

The funding would support a proposed transportation study to examine growing traffic challenges.

While the I-15 corridor runs through Lehi, making it an important transit hub for people commuting through northern Utah County, much of the rapid growth is happening in cities like Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, both of which do not have direct freeway access at this time.

The communities also are experiencing an increasing number of daily community traffic in and out of the two areas.

Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson said he and other local leaders have been working on a solution to the issue for more than seven years.

“We know what improvements need to be made, and this study is a big step in the federal process,” he said in a statement as part of the city’s release. “The challenge is that the solutions are costly, and we must continue working to secure the necessary funding.

Several projects are already underway that aim to offer some relief for east-west travel in northern Utah County.

The Utah Department of Transportation has begun work to build a six-lane freeway along 2100 North in Lehi that will be constructed between the existing roadways, which will become frontage roads to the future freeway.

Construction is expected to begin sometime this winter.

A little further south, the Pioneer Crossing flex lanes project is also underway; it is anticipated to be finished sometime in 2027.

According to Lehi City traffic engineer Luke Seegmiller, while both of these projects are expected to cut down on congestion for people commuting from Lehi into Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain, the city also wants to explore how different freeway alignments will serve the drivers in the community.

“There has been a lot of discussion and traffic studies among the cities and UDOT about the best alignment of a needed future freeway along the south side of Lehi connecting Mountain View Corridor and Interstate 15. This funding is intended to do a planning level environmental study to better understand the environmental impacts of different freeway alignments,” he told the Daily Herald in a statement on Friday. “The study results will inform future UDOT studies as well as the ultimate Environmental Impact Study (EIS) which will select the preferred alternative.”

Lehi officials say that if both the Senate and the House approve it, the legislation will make the necessary funding available to move forward with in-depth planning and analysis that will guide future projects aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and improving mobility for residents and commuters.

“We’re grateful for the strong partnerships we have built with our representatives in D.C., and their support in helping us pursue federal resources. We are especially appreciative of Senator John Curtis and Congressman Burgess Owens’ efforts to secure this critical federal transportation funding,” Johnson said in his statement.

Lehi city staff plan to continue to working with congressional leaders and federal agencies as the 2026 appropriations process moves forward.