The Federal Highway Administration recently awarded the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) a $39.6 million Congestion Relief Grant for the installation of coordinated adaptive ramp meters (CARM) on southbound I-15 from South Salt Lake to Bluffdale.
The grant program provides funding to projects that reduce vehicular traffic in urban areas with a population of at least 1 million.
“I-15 is a vital corridor, especially in Salt Lake County,” UDOT Freeway Operations Manager Grant Farnsworth said. “Unfortunately, this valuable asset performs the worst when we need it the most. But CARM’s integrated sensor network will enhance travel times and reliability, making it easier — and safer — for Utahns to get to their jobs, families and other needs.”
CARM is a vehicle sensor system that adjusts ramp meters in real-time to improve traffic flow, minimize bottlenecks, cut travel times and address traffic related incidents. It determines when vehicles should enter the road by sensing wait times. The system prevents the need to add additional lanes.
UDOT will begin construction in 2027. It will install CARM on southbound I-15 from SR-201 in South Salt Lake to 14600 South and I-15 in Bluffdale. The area was selected because, during peak hours, capacity drops from 1,900 vehicles per hour per lane to 1,250.