LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) began an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in the spring of 2018 for Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC) and Wasatch Boulevard in partnership with Utah Transit Authority (UTA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to provide an integrated transportation system that improves the reliability, mobility and safety for residents, visitors, and commuters who use S.R. 210.

Ultimately, the partners seek to deliver transportation options that meet the needs of the community while preserving the value of the Wasatch Mountains.

Public Comment Period for Revised Draft EIS Chapter 26 – 4(f) and 6(f) Evaluation, Open Until Jan. 10, 2022

UDOT is accepting comments on the analysis contained in the revised Chapter 26. Formal comments can be submitted through the website comment form, email, voicemail and text.

Please note that as the public had the opportunity to comment on the Draft EIS as a whole earlier in the year, comments unrelated to the revisions in this chapter will not be responded to in the Final EIS.

Draft EIS Information

UDOT released the Draft EIS on June 25, 2021. The release of the Draft EIS was followed by a 70-day public comment period that ended on September 3, 2021. The public comments and the responses to those comments will be available for public review in the Final EIS. In the Draft EIS UDOT identified two preferred alternatives to improve transportation in Little Cottonwood Canyon, the Enhanced Bus Service in Peak-Period Shoulder Lane as the alternative that best improves mobility and the Gondola Alternative B (base station from La Caille) as the alternative that best improves reliability. For more information click here.

UDOT released a Revised Draft EIS Chapter 26 – Section 4(f) and 6(f) Evaluation, on December 10, 2021. The release of the revised chapter was followed by a 30-day public comment period that ended on January 10, 2021. The public comments and the responses to those comments will be available for public review in the Final EIS. A summary of the revisions to Chapter 26 can be found here.

View Draft EIS Materials

LCC Draft EIS Preferred Alternatives Overview - June 25, 2021

LCC EIS National Environmental Policy Act Process Video

PUBLIC HEARING INFORMATION

In-Person Public Hearing

July 13, 2021 4:30-8:30pm
Butler Middle School, Cottonwood Heights, UT

Little Cottonwood Draft EIS Public Hearing Recording - July 13, 2021

Virtual Public Hearing

July 20, 2021 6:00-8:30pm
Zoom Webinar

Little Cottonwood Draft EIS Public Hearing Recording - July 20, 2021

STUDY AREA MAP

STUDY PROCESS AND TIMELINE

Spring 2018

PUBLIC SCOPING

Open House – April 10, 2018
Public Comment Period – March 9: May 4, 2018

Spring 2018

Spring 2019

REVISED PUBLIC SCOPING

Open House – April 9, 2019
Public Comment Period – March 5 - June 14, 2019

Spring 2019

Summer 2019 to Spring 2020

DRAFT PURPOSE AND NEED AND ALTERNATIVE SCREENING CRITERIA

Public Meetings (virtual & in-person) – June 22 - 24, 2020
Public Comment Period – June 8 - July 10, 2020

Summer 2019 to Spring 2020

Summer 2020 to Spring 2021

ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT

Summer 2020 to Spring 2021

Summer 2021 to Winter 2021

DRAFT EIS

Public Open House & Hearing – July 13, 2021
Virtual Public Hearing – July 20, 2021
Public Comment Period – June 25 - September 3, 2021

Public Comment Period – December 10, 2021 - January 10, 2022

Summer 2021 to Winter 2021

Winter 2021/2022

FINAL EIS/ROD

Public notification of release of Final EIS and ROD

Winter 2021/2022

CURRENT PHASE

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Little Cottonwood Canyon on June 25, 2021 and held a public comment period, with the project team receiving 13,400+ comments.

Following the Draft EIS comment period and based on public comment and further consideration of the facts and circumstances, UDOT and the USDA Forest Service have decided to revise Chapter 26 of the Draft EIS (Section 4(f) & Section 6(f) Evaluation) and release the revised chapter for public review and comment. The primary differences between this chapter and the one published on June 25, 2021, are that the Alpenbock Loop Trail, the Grit Mill Trailhead, and the area between the two are now evaluated as a single Section 4(f) resource. This combined recreation resource is referred to as Alpenbock Loop and Grit Mill Climbing opportunities and includes the trailheads, trails, and climbing resources (boulders and vertical routes) that are accessed from either trailhead.

The public review and comment period for the Draft EIS Revised Chapter 26 concluded on January 10, 2021. The public comments and the responses to those comments will be available for public review in the Final EIS.

SUBMIT COMMENTS

Comments provided to the project team outside of formal comment periods will be reviewed and considered by UDOT as it develops the project but will not be included in the NEPA document. All comments received will be documented in the project record. The study team will contact you if they need additional information or clarification.

Comments provided during the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to UDOT are a matter of public record and subject to public release, if requested. For more information, see the Terms of Use at the bottom of the Utah.gov website.

Comments that are publicly displayed through online tools must follow our UDOT Social Media Policy Participant Code of Conduct. Comments that are unacceptable under that policy may be removed at the administrator’s discretion.

CONTACT US

For more information on the transportation planning efforts underway on S.R. 210 and in Little Cottonwood Canyon or to share your ideas, please send the project team an email, give us a call or join the Facebook Group.

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801-200-3465

Write Us A Letter

Little Cottonwood Canyon EIS
c/o HDR
2825 E Cottonwood Parkway, Suite 200
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121