The Utah Department of Transportation is adding more travel lanes on U.S. Highway 189 between Wallsburg and Charleston to reduce congestion and increase safety for drivers. This project aims to address the final stretch of US-189 in this area that currently has only one lane in each direction. Once completed, the highway will feature two travel lanes in each direction from Provo to Heber City.
According to project details, the main focus involves building new travel lanes into the eastern hillside as a separate and elevated road, described as a split highway. This construction method is similar to existing sections of US-189 in Provo Canyon.
Other features of the project include the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of US-189 and SR-113. The project also includes improvements to the Island Beach Day Use Area, such as a new parking lot and longer acceleration and deceleration lanes. Additionally, workers will install new wildlife fencing and improve sight lines through curved sections of the highway.
Construction on the project began in October 2025 and is expected to conclude in the fall of 2027. The project timeline includes various phases, such as northbound lane construction and the SR-113 and US-189 intersection improvements. Southbound lanes reconstruction is planned for fall 2026 through summer 2027.
During construction, the Lake House Restaurant at Deer Creek is expected to remain open. Traffic will be shifted to temporary bypass lanes or onto new northbound lanes during different phases of the project.
The project schedule remains subject to change due to material availability and weather conditions. For more information, the public can visit udotinput.utah.gov/HeberValleyProjects.
