City staff gave a progress update on multiple transportation and drainage projects affecting Emigration Canyon, including the regional MSD transportation master plan, local road‑safety improvements and a culvert reconstruction project.
Tamara, the project lead, said the transportation master plan has completed an asphalt-condition assessment and is finalizing pavement cross sections and traffic modeling. She said consultants recommended an uphill‑only bike lane as the standard for the corridor and that a consultant presentation has been requested for the April 21 council meeting. Tamara told the council the stakeholder work group will meet twice (once early April and once after a public open house) and an open house is expected in May with a public hearing anticipated in June.
On the Emigration Canyon culverts project, Tamara reported an on‑site meeting with the mayor on Feb. 9 and resident requests for additional review. Staff consulted UDOT guidance and noted that third‑party reviews are typically required when federal funds make a structure a bridge; because culverts are generally not classed as structures under that guidance, staff recommended not pursuing an unfunded third‑party review unless the canyon funds it. She said minor design adjustments are planned — including rip rap on the downstream end of the Skycrest culvert and a j‑hook to direct creek flow toward the middle and protect the bank — and that the project will be phased to maintain resident access during construction. Tamara told the council that temporary construction easements have been mailed to property owners and that the city has not yet received responses.
Tamara also updated the council on Freeze Creek gabion‑basket evaluations and said the FEMA flood‑map update for Emigration was submitted months earlier; consultants have answered FEMA questions and the file is awaiting FEMA review. Staff recommended continuing to use the best available data locally while FEMA completes its review.
Council thanked staff for accommodating residents’ access concerns and directed staff to communicate these design decisions back to residents. No formal vote was required for the informational project updates.