a day in the life of udot region three

Utah Department of Transportation, 2015 Region Three Fall News

A Day in the Life ofUDOT Region Three

Photo Contest Provides a Snapshot of Region Three’s WorkThe second annual Region Three photo contest had 18 participants who sub-mitted more than 200 images that show the range of work we do every day.

take a look at what we have accomplished. You are welcome to send images to Kim Krein ([email protected]) throughout the year for next year’s photo contest. Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s contest.st!

From monitoring the wetlands bank in Utah County to the carpentry crew building new storage sheds, to paving in Nephi Canyon to responding to an emergency closure on SR-45 southeast of Vernal, the photo contest helps us

Photo Winner, Brandon Hyatt, East View from Region Three

Pat Lowe, Flags at Region Three

2015 A Day in the Life Page 5

Photo winner: Brandon Hyatt East view from region

Runners Up: Mike Cole Hauling grindings Rod Hess Mt Timpanogos from wetlands bank Series winners: Travis Ackermann US-6 bridge work Marshall Terry SR-74 median removal Mote Siufanua Vineyard Connector Video winners: Shawn Bright Dash cam snow plow Marshall Terry Lehi wind storm Justin Schellenberg Vineyard fly-over

Congratulations Photo Contest Winners!In This Issue:

First Segment of Vinyard Open...7

Story Map Explains US-40 Vision...8

Links to Contest Videos...10

Golden Milestone for Mike Sabey...11

SR-45 Closed for Safety...12

Signal Crew Installs Generator...17

Point Project Update...18

Safety Procedures Save Lives...21

Summer Picnic...32

Exercise Room at R3 HQ...33

Employees Recognized...35

R3 Plays a Role in Events...37 First HAWK Pedestrian Signal Installed in the BasinUDOT installed a new HAWK pedestrian signal (High-Intensity Acti-vated Cross Walk) on U.S. 40 at the Union Street intersection on the north side of Union High School in Roosevelt.

This HAWK signal is designed to enhance safety for both pedestri-ans and drivers. The HAWK signal is pedestrian activated and sig-nals vehicles with flashing yellow, solid red and then flashing red to alert cars to stop for people in the crosswalk. Pedestrians

can also see a countdown signal that alerts them to the amount of remaining time on the traffic signal. Crews installed the signal in August so it was ready for use the first day of school.

Pat Lowe, Region Complex in April

UDOT Region Three Page 6

Runner Up: Rod Hess, Mount Timpanogos from the Wetland Bank

Runner Up: Mike Cole, Hauling Grindings out of Provo Canyon


Photo Series Winner: Travis Ackermann, Work on U.S. 6


Photo Series Winner: Mote Siufanua Vinyard Connector

Photo: Mote Siufanua, Sidewalk to Wonderland


First Segment of Vineyard Connector Open to TrafficThe Vineyard Connector is now open to Mill Road, providing access west of Geneva Road from 800 North in Orem.

The new roadway alignment provides additional access to businesses and residents west of Geneva Road. The next segment built to the west will open when Vineyard City completes construction of its Main Street.

Future segments of Vineyard Connector are planned to eventually connect 800 North and Geneva Road in Orem to Pioneer Crossing and I-15 in American Fork.


Photo Series Winner:Marshall Terry Island Removal

Story Map Explains US-40 Vision and ProjectsRegion Three continues to explore how maps can be used to share information with the public.

After publishing the Uinta Basin Transportation Study as an interactive online site in UPlan last year, Project Manager Craig Hancock and GIS specialist Aaron Pinkerton have created a “story map” that presents information about UDOT’s plans for US-40.The story map is an interactive format that displays information on maps while also providing space for explanation through text, videos and graphics.

The story map functions like a website with clickable links and tabs while also having all the functions of the map such as zoom-ing and panning. Topics covered in the map include why US-40 is important, investment in US-40 the past five years, the vision for US-40, and upcoming funded projects on US-40.

The story map was prepared for the October Transportation Commission meeting held in Provo and is available on the Region Three UPlan gallery (www.udot.utah.gov/go/r3gallery).

One tab of the story map shows funded projects that are color coded. Pop-up boxes show project details.


Video Winners and Finalists This image is a still from Justin Schellenberg’s video, Vineyard Fly-Over. See all videos here.

Pat Lowe, Flowering Trees at Region Three

https://drive.google.com/a/utah.gov/folderview?id=0Bwz6VahrfJiBfkdFaXhRczJQa2tLbDJySGYxRGZuT2x3SGE4MzJrczcya1BpdURvVFYzTGs&usp=sharing_eid


Mike Sabey completed 50 years on the job at the Utah Department of Transpor-tation — a golden anniversary no employee at UDOT has ever achieved. “This is phenomenal. I don’t even know what to say,” Sabey said as he was presented with an award from UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras.

A Utah County native, Mike left his station attendant job at Premoco Gas Station in Lehi to come to UDOT. On May 17, 1965, he was hired as a Light Equipment Operator at Shed 17 in Lehi, where Sabey says he was a “highway weed whack-er”. Since then, he’s performed just about every task in Region Three. He spent 29 years working various jobs in Lehi, and then south to the Provo/Orem area, where he’s spent the last few years on the paint crew. Mike said he joined the paint crew in order to “try something different”, a motto he’s lived by his entire career.

Sabey’s peers say he is the first to give up personal priorities — whether it’s a vacation, a hunt, or even a doctor ap-pointment — because he knows “my guys are counting on me.” He tends to rearrange his life to get a project finished, and is known throughout Region Three as someone who can fix just about anything. Sabey said the key to his longevi-ty was proper safety and a little bit of luck!

Congratulations, Mike!

A Golden Milestone for Mike SabeyMike Sabey completed 50 years on the job at the Utah Department of Transportation — a golden anniversary no employee at UDOT has ever achieved.


SR-45 Closed as Safety PrecautionThe Vernal crew closed SR-45 south of Vernal in July due to severe erosion near the road.

The crew was performing routine inspections when staff from the nearby Gilsonite mine pointed out a trench that could compromise the roadway surface. The roadway was intact, but the material under the road did not appear to be stable, so UDOT immediately closed the road as a safety precaution.

SR-45 remains closed indefinitely at milepost 7 while options for repair are analyzed. The road is primarily used by trucks servicing the mining and energy industries. UDOT worked with local officials, trucking and energy industries to alert motorists of the closure and signed a detour on Little Bonan-za Road in coordination with Uintah County.

SR-45 is closed indefinitely at milepost 7 — Photo by Ervin Rhodes.


Larry Montoya, Final Walk-Through, SR 87

Larry Montoya, Final Walk-Through, SR 35 & SR 208


Brandon Hyatt , Bridal Veil FallsBrandon Hyatt , Deer Creek at the Charlston Turn-Off

Rich Crosland, Field Visit

Jared Jeffs, Brandon Warenski & Blake Price, Illumagear and Headlamp


Rich Crosland, Field Visit


Larry Montoya, SR 87 Shoulder & Safety

Larry Montoya SR 208 Bridge Parapet Replacement


Signal Crew Installs Easy Generator Hook-up

Larry Montoya, SR 87 Culvert Extension

Our signal crew has started installing a plug outlet on the outside of the signal cabinet to power traffic signals with a generator in emergency circumstances.

The signal cabinet has a toggle power transfer switch in the police door on the front of the cabinet. This allows easy access for a generator to be turned on, secured to the signal cabinet, plugged into the power outlet on the outside of the cabinet and the power toggle switch turned over to generator power. Previously, a signal crew had to arrive on scene to connect a generator when a power outage occurs.

This innovation allows emergency responders or the area maintenance station to quickly get a traffic signal oper-ational in the event of a power outage, reducing traffic delays and minimizing risk of crashes due to a dark signal. Plans to distribute generators to maintenance stations to power traffic signals in emergency situations will be implemented in coming months. Pat Lowe, Test Paint at Region Three


Reconstruction and widening of I-15 from Bangerter High-way to 12300 South will commence after that and be com-pleted Fall 2016. Current schedules are weather dependent.

Currently, traffic has been moved to the outside of the work area and crews are paving the inside lanes. Work also contin-ues at the 14600 South interchange, which is being convert-ed to a SPUI.

Creating innovative solutions to a tight workspace and tight timeline, Utah County Constructors has erected a conveyor bridge over northbound I-15 to move concrete from the batch plant to the center of the freeway. The conveyor will reduce truck trips, fuel consumption and emissions.

Major accomplishments so far this year include: • Completing major construction of both the northbound and southbound bridges over 14600 South • Installing new box culvert at the East Jordan Canal, with tie-ins to be completed in the fall • Four lanes of traffic on new concrete pavement both NB and SB between S.R. 92 and 14600 South

Crews have: • Placed 465,000 tons of fill material • Paved 98,000 tons of asphalt • Placed 457,000 square yards of concrete pavement • Built 79,000 square feet of block retaining wall

The Point Project Update Crews plan to open five lanes of I-15 in both directions between S.R. 92 and Bangerter High-way by the end of 2015.


Carpenter Crew, Storage Building at Saratoga Shed


Ron Hawkins, Wash rack at Manila Shed


The paint crew was hit by a semi-truck this summer while working on I-15. Although the crash could have been cat-astrophic, no life-threatening injuries occurred due to the crew following safety procedures. The advance warning vehicle and associated crash cushion took the brunt of the hit.

Safety Procedures Save Lives in Paint Crew Crash

Robert Jahn, Paint vehicle crash on I-15


Mike Cole, Replacing Culvert Pipe & Building Rock Walls


Mike Cole, Rock Walls in American Fork Canyon, Tibble Fork area.


Mike Cole, Shouldering Work by Heber Crew Mike Cole, Shouldering Work by Lundell Crew

Mike Cole, New Tow Plow Building


Mote Siufanua, Point Project


Kai Fitzhugh, Vineyard Connector Deck Pour



Travis Ackermann, Vineyard Connector

Travis Ackermann, Vineyard Connector


Travis Ackermann, Vineyard ConnectorBrandon Warenski, Laying Bonded

Wearing Course

Travis Ackermann, High Friction Course in Nephi

Terry Jacobson, SR6 MP 200 - 201, 380 Tons of Asphalt to Repair, Structure Settling


Travis Ackermann, High Friction Course in Nephi

Travis Ackermann, Regular Chip vs. New High Friction Course in Nephi Canyon


at Soldier HollowSummer Picnic

The Region Three summer picnic was held at Soldier Hollow end of August. Deputy Director Shane Marshall greeted people and photo contest awards were presented.


Picnic festivities included a bike ride to the top of Memorial Hill. The ride was sponsored by the Wellness Council.

Exercise Room at Region Headquarters in OremThe Region Three exercise room opened for use in August.

The room is located on the northeast corner of the field lab building. You must enter it from the outside using your key card. Contact Randy Graham to program your key card to access the room.

Opening the exercise room is part of UDOT’s com-mitment to employee wellness and in support of the exercise policy that allows 30 minutes of exercise three times a week with supervisor approval (UDOT ADM-74).

Initially, two pieces of equipment are available in the exercise room: a treadmill and stationary bike. If any-

one has equipment they would like to donate, please bring it in. The room is equipped with air conditioning and heat for year-round use. Contact Wellness Council Chair Matt Parker with any questions or suggestions.


Fixing a Blind Corner on SR-92


Ray Graham, 20 years, and Bill Larson, 30 years, in the

Materials Lab.

2015 SERVICE AWARDS

50 YEARSMike Sabey

30 YEARSMax ProbstBill LarsonLynda SeckletstewaDouglas Barney

25 YEARSDarren VincentLeslie BeckEldon SimpsonPat Lowe

20 YEARSRay GrahamTonia WallChad GasserTrent McKeachnieDoug BassettShayne HatchJoel BascomGrant JacksonShawn Davis

15 YEARSJustin SchellenbergMike RymerNena Woodmansee

10 YEARSBrian AllenTravis AckermannSteve JonesMorgan McCarthyChase JohnsonKlay SteeleClayton Weaver5 yearsNathan ClasbyChuck Bond

Employees Recognized for Service to UDOTThirty Region Three employees reached milestones this year.

wanted to get grounded,” said Shawn Davis (20 years).

Staff remarked that they find satisfaction in serving our customers and like work-ing alongside good people. Working at UDOT is “challenging,” “entertaining,” “interesting,” and “fastastic!”

When asked who would be UDOT’s su-perhero, responses included Batman and Safetyman with super powers such as weather control and Jedi mind control. Suitable mascots for UDOT according to service award winners include a bald eagle, Tasmanian devil, chameleon, sau-ropod and Yeti.

Congratulations to these employees and thank you for your years of service to keep Utah moving!

Each received a certificate for their years of service and were invited to serve as judges for this year’s photo contest.

From sinking a truck in a mud puddle to moving into the new building the year of the 2002 Olympics, our staff have many memories and experiences to share —like the day a truck carrying live chickens crashed near Sheep Creek on US-6 sending thousands of chickens running around on the road. “It was quite entertaining to see free range chickens all over the place,” said Justin Schellenberg (15 years). “White feath-ers were blowing around like a snow storm. All we could hear were chicken squawks!”

Or the day that Bill Larson (30 years) got grounded from the lab. “We all

Congratulations!


Cleaning Cuts, Provo Canyon


Arty Johnson, Lynda Seckletstewa and Kim Krein helped serve up the shop staff good cooking.

UDOT has a role in professional sports events when venues need help with traffic management or request to use our roads. Two events required coordination with Region Three this summer: the Utah Championship Golf Tournament at Thanksgiving Point and the Tour of Utah professional bicy-cling stage race.

The Utah Championship Golf Tournament was held at Thanksgiving Point in July after 16 years of playing at Willow Creek Golf Course in Sandy. The change in venue meant organizers were open to UDOT’s help in creating a traffic management plan to help get golfers, event volun-teers and spectators to and from Thanksgiving Point. Adam Lough coordinated with Lehi City for placement of mobile VMS signs to direct traffic and Traffic Operations Center staff were on-call for support throughout the tournament.

The Tour of Utah held Stage 4 in Heber Valley in August,

starting and ending at Soldier Hollow. The route included 45 miles on US-40 through Daniel’s Canyon past Strawberry Reservoir. Professional cyclists then rode over Wolf Creek Pass (SR-35) to Jordanelle Reservoir before returning to Soldier Hollow.

Bill Townsend helped coordinate roadway preparations with maintenance stations, including sweeping and checking for hazards prior to the race.Both the Utah Championship Golf Tournament and Tour of Utah receive national television coverage and are an important part of Utah’s recreational tourism economy. Thanks to everyone who helped make both these events run smoothly!

“Thanks to everyone [at UDOT] for helping with the signage etc. for our golf event at Thanksgiving Point. Thanks again to all!!” --Jeff Robbins, Utah Sports Commission

Region Three Plays a Role in National Sporting Events Held in UtahUtah might be known for skiing, but other professional sports events are bringing world-class athletes to our state.


Brandon Hyatt, Provo Canyon Barrier Repair

a day in the life of udot region three

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