Nighttime one-way traffic to begin near Deer Creek Reservoir tonight
October 13, 2025
Widening project to increase safety, ease congestion
The Utah Department of Transportation is beginning a multiyear construction project tonight on U.S. Highway 189 near Deer Creek Reservoir.
This is the last stretch of US-189 in this area with only one lane each way. When work is finished, the entire highway in this area will have two lanes in each direction, making it safer and easier for everyone who drives it.
In addition to widening the road, UDOT will add a new traffic signal at the intersection of US-189 and State Route 113.
Crews will begin work on the evening of Monday, Oct. 13. Each night through early November, US-189 will be reduced to one-way alternating traffic from10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekends. between Rainbow Bay Day Use Area and 3600 South.
Flaggers will guide drivers through the moving work zone. Vehicles over 11 feet in width will be restricted from using US-189.
Occasionally, crews will need to close US-189 for up to 15 minutes at a time. When this occurs, drivers should plan for short delays. These nighttime restrictions will allow crews to place a temporary barrier on the shoulder of US-189 and begin initial rockfall mitigation.
This route is an essential connection between Utah Valley and the Wasatch Back, carrying thousands of commuters, recreational and commercial traffic to their destinations.
“This project is about making Provo Canyon safer and more reliable year-round,” UDOT Project Manager Craig Hancock said. “US-189 is a vital connection for both daily travel and recreation. Thousands of people use this route to reach work, the mountains, or the reservoir, and these improvements will help them get where they’re going more safely and with fewer delays.”
Other key features of the project include:
- Improved access and parking at the Island Beach Day Use Area, including longer acceleration and deceleration lanes and a new parking lot
- Better sight lines through curve reductions along US-189
- New wildlife fencing to protect drivers and animals
To reduce waste and support the local environment, crews will reuse rock from controlled blasting. The material will either be repurposed for other parts of the project or shaped into the mountainside east of the Island Beach Day Use Area, where it will be replanted with native vegetation.
Construction is estimated to wrap up in the fall of 2027.
