HILL AIR FORCE BASE — The Utah Transit Authority’s ballyhooed bus service to Hill Air Force Base will continue to be altered by anti-terrorism work for the next few weeks.
The base’s 75th Civil Engineer Group began a project Sept. 22 to install “speed tables” at the South, West and Roy gates of the base. The three gates are heavily used each day by the more than 20,000 employees who work on base.
Capt. Thomas Otsby, commander of the 75th SFS, said the speed tables are essentially large speed bumps with sloping angular sides instead of a rounded profile. Otsby said the tables will replace the concrete serpentines currently featured at the gates and are being installed to comply with Department of Defense anti-terrorism standards.
The work will take place in three separate phases, alternating between the three gates, and last until early November.
While the work proceeds, UTA must make several changes to high-touted bus service that began this spring.
In April, the agency began running a Monday through Friday bus service to the base that features a pair of buses that originate from the Clearfield FrontRunner Station, 1250 S. State St.
The bus routes, known as the 664 and the 665, service both the east and west side of the base, operating at peak service times from about 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., and make 20 stops on base. But during Hill’s anti-terrorism construction work, detours will be necessary.
UTA Regional General Manager Eddy Cumins said while Hill’s South Gate is closed until to Oct. 5, bus route 665 will enter the Southwest Gate and service stops on Hill’s Community Lane and the Base Clinic prior to starting the normal route at 8th Street and South Gate Avenue. The detour will be used for both morning (5:14 a.m. to 7:44 a.m.) and afternoon (2:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.) service hours.
When the West Gate closes from Oct. 6-19, bus route 664 will enter the Southwest Gate, detour to H Avenue and Wardleigh Road, and then travel west on Wardleigh Road to service all existing stops. That detour will be used for both morning and afternoon service hours as well. Buses will continue to depart Clearfield Station at the scheduled time during morning service. During afternoon hours, UTA buses will run every 15 minutes from approximately 2:45 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Cumins said the bus service, which has experienced lower ridership than anticipated, easily has the capacity to carry more than 700 passengers to and from Hill and the Clearfield FrontRunner station. Cumins said riding the service will reduce traffic delays and help improve traffic — and the agency is encouraging base employees to test it out during the construction period.
For more information about the upcoming gate closures, visit www.hill.af.mil. For additional information about UTA service, please contact Cumins at dcumins@rideuta.com.
