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UDOT adding safety improvements after crash in work zone at South Jordan intersection

Posted at 6:10 PM, Jan 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-26 20:10:25-05

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah -- UDOT is adding safety improvements to the work zone at the intersection 11400 South Bangerter Highway after a serious crash Thursday.

Despite meeting national safety standards for work zones, UDOT plans to add larger "no left turn" signs and directional arrows on stoplights in the intersection to steer drivers in the right direction.

"We always want to make sure they are as safe as they can possibly be," UDOT spokesperson John Gleason said of the construction zones.

Thursday night, a young boy was critically injured after the car he was riding in made an illegal left-hand turn from Bangerter Highway on to 11400 South and was hit by an oncoming car.

“There’s signage there that says no left turn,” said Lt. Rob Hansen of the South Jordan Police Department.

South Jordan police say the driver knowingly made the illegal turn causing the crash.

Due to construction on the highway, left turns became illegal at that intersection this week.

“We want to make sure that people don’t have trouble navigating it," Gleason said. "[That] they don’t have any issues."

People who live in the area say the construction makes for a dreadful commute.

"It's hard to maneuver, it's hard to see," said Sarah Brown. "It's just a nightmare."

UDOT says work on the road is expected to last until the fall of 2018. Until then, drivers need to be vigilant about paying attention and obeying signs on the road.

"It's so critical that all of us focus," Gleason said. "That we focus our attention on the road when we are driving in those work zones."

When construction wraps up, drivers will be rewarded for their patience with a safer, faster commute.

“You do what you have to," Brown said. "It's where we live. At the same time, I’m grateful they’re doing it because I think it’s gonna help in the end."