In collaboration with Kanab City, the Utah Department of Transportation has started work on a temporary stoplight on the intersection of Highway 89a, Kanab Creek Drive and 1100 south.
Left to right:
Cables will be strung between each of these poles to hang traffic lights. UDOT and Kanab City Staff estimate the lights will be up for a few years before construction on the roundabout begins. Photo courtesy of Kanab City Social Media.
Crews began working on pole foundation in early December. Photo by Ty Gant.
Work began on December 9, and crews estimate a week or two until the light is in operation - as of the morning of December 10, multiple poles were erected and secured, with wiring on the way. In the Kanab City Council meeting on December 10, city staff added, “It’s typically a pretty quick thing … you can see the poles are already up, they’ve just got to run the wires.”
A roundabout is still planned for the intersection in the long term, with UDOT and Kanab City unable to speculate on when construction will begin. Per the results of their recent traffic studies, UDOT concludes a roundabout remains the most cost-effective and safe solution for the intersection, with the temporary stoplight as an interim measure while budget and personnel are prepared for the roundabout’s installation. Some estimates from previous reports show the roundabout costing upward of three million dollars - a similar roundabout slated for construction in Cedar City in 2025 reports a cost of $3.25 million.
Some members of city staff estimate a few years before the roundabout will be finished and ready for use - a stance corroborated by past reports from other UDOT projects, showing the department finishing a roundabout’s construction in a year or two from conception to completion. Actual construction is estimated to take somewhere from eight to ten weeks with full traffic stoppage, with the possibility of performing the construction in phases to permit traffic flow during construction. Kanab Mayor Colten Johnson and the City Council have expressed their desire to implement traffic control and safety measures on that intersection for some time, with Mayor Johnson stating in a previous meeting, “I don’t especially like the idea of kids crossing the street over a roundabout, seems like a stoplight is a better place to cross … we need something on that intersection, soon.” Council Member Chris Heaton has shared a similar sentiment, stating, “We can discuss what the best solution is in the long term, but that intersection is dangerous right now.”
The temporary traffic signals are estimated to be functioning by the week of December 16, assuming no delays. Construction workers at the site have expressed their wishes for a quick and safe project, with UDOT organizers reminding drivers to slow down during construction on an already dangerous intersection, and to pay close attention to directions given by construction and traffic personnel.
