Thank you for reaching out to the I-15 Express Lanes project and sharing your concerns with us. As part of the project, crews are removing and replacing select concrete panels along the length of the project. This work is what is causing the rough ride along the concrete surface. At the conclusion of the project, the entire length will be ground and leveled resulting in a smoother ride along I-15.

Grinding the surface smooth will happen near the end of the project because the leveling needs to happen all at once to keep the roadway surface consistent across the project length. It also needs to happen near the end of the project because travel lanes are not in their final configuration yet. If crews were to grind now, the current paint lines would be ground into the road and remain visible for long into the future. This would result in "shadow lines" along the length of the project- meaning the old temporary paint lines would remain visible after the project is complete. The project will grind at the end, when travel lanes are in their final traffic configuration, so there are no shadow lines on the project.

The concrete panels crews replace are installed 1/8th of an inch to 1/4 of an inch above the existing roadway to make the road completely level when ground smooth, with no depressions. This height meets the Utah Department of Transportation safety standards. We anticipate grinding the concrete panels smooth along the project length to happen summer of 2021.

Thank you for reaching out to us. If you have any additional questions or concerns, contact the project team by phone at 833-I15-XPRS (415-9777) or email at i15express@utah.gov.