Skip to main content

Bengal Blvd. Improvements Come After Delays

Nov 05, 2015 01:30PM ● By Bryan Scott

By Cassandra Goff

Bengal Boulevard has been under construction for the majority of the summer. Crews have been trying to complete construction as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, there have been a few delays. Bad weather was a factor in concrete placement and striping the road. In addition, vibrations from ongoing construction to an aging water line caused leaks that required fast action to minimize the damage. 

Even with delays, paving was finished Sept. 22, which did not include work on striping, manholes and some curbing. Manhole raising, which includes “over 147 manholes and water valves needed to be raised to the new road level” is being completed as quickly as possible. Striping the road, which has been an ongoing process, has raised concerns for residents, the mayor and the city council. 

For many years, Cottonwood Heights has been a popular location for biking. There are many roads within the city that have specifically paved bike lanes, but Bengal was not one of them. Residents have wanted Bengal Boulevard to include bike lanes because “this is the best road we have for an east/west bike lane,” public works director Mike Allen said. 

The city wanted to accommodate the residents so that “when the engineer designed the striping for this road, he included dedicated bike lanes,” Allen said. The striping was designed to have a consistently straight bike lane, which made the center lane bend with the width of the road. The main concern of residents has been the inconsistent width of the center lane. 

During a council meeting on Oct. 13, Councilman Tee Tyler expressed his concerns about parking, specifically between 3300 East and Wasatch Boulevard. City engineers have drawn a new plan based on the concerns. “The new striping plan will allow parking between about 3300 East and Wasatch Boulevard and other areas around the skate park and tennis courts,” Allen said.

The new plan will allow the center lane to be more consistent along the length of the boulevard. The construction crew will remove the problem striping by using high-pressure water, also known as hydro-blasting, and re-stripe for the new accommodations.  

“When we put a treatment on a roadway we always look for improvements,” Allen said. “Our repair standard for roads overlaid in the last years is much more involved than on other roads. We require a 2-inch mill and overlay in a much larger area to keep the integrity of the road at high level.” 

Residents should see a new and improved Bengal Boulevard before winter, which will include bike lanes for passionate bikers in the valley, as well as parking spots in desirable areas.