Commuting from Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs has gotten a little easier in the past couple of weeks, thanks to the intervention of Eagle Mountain's mayor.

UDOT has completed work to add two westbound lanes from Redwood Road all the way to Ranches Parkway, following a suggestion from Mayor Heather Jackson.

"It was nice to be heard, and to be heard so quickly," said city spokeswoman Linda Peterson.

After attending an event with Dave Nazare, local region director for UDOT, Jackson asked him to drive out to the Crossroads so she could show him a way she believed UDOT could install a second westbound lane at practically no cost, simply by re-striping over existing pavement.

"There seemed to be an area where the shoulder was double the width, and I said, 'I think you can help us solve part of the problem,' " Jackson said of her discussion with Nazare. "They took out the rumble strips and restriped."

That simple fix solves an enormous problem, she said.

"It allows us to go through this light and not have everyone backed up to the top of the hill," she said. "I just want to say that I am so thrilled we have someone that can see logic and see something so easily. It was done within 10 days. I am so excited and the residents are excited. It will make it safer. Eagle Mountain residents are just so grateful to UDOT for listening. It shows that they listen to elected representatives when we are out doing our job. They know we are not going to ask for something ridiculous. It was simple, and he just did it, and that is the coolest thing ever."

UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson confirmed that the change was made as a direct result of Jackson's intervention.

After Jackson showed Nazare what she wanted, "we said we will have our traffic folks look at that and see if it makes sense," Thompson said. "We got our paint crews out before they shut down for winter, and we were able to do that."

Jackson, Eagle Mountain City Council members and residents also petitioned UDOT earlier in the construction process to re-stripe and create another eastbound lane from 800 West to the crossroads, alleviating a daily traffic backup at almost no cost.

The S.R. 73 widening project, now complete, also includes a pass-through lane at the Ranches Parkway intersection, and two dedicated left turn lanes at the crossroad at Redwood Road.