Sandy drivers heading to Salt Lake City International Airport will lose their most direct freeway connection for more than a month starting Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

The Utah Department of Transportation will shut down three northbound I-215 off-ramps at 8 p.m. Tuesday for bridge deck replacement. The closures eliminate the northbound I-215 ramps to both westbound and eastbound I-80, which serve as the primary freeway route from Sandy to the airport.

UDOT plans to reopen the two I-80 ramps shortly before Labor Day, Tuesday, Sept. 1, roughly 35 days after the closure begins.

A third ramp, northbound I-215 to Redwood Road, will also close Tuesday and remain shut through Friday, Oct. 2.

Alternate routes

UDOT recommends three detour options for airport-bound drivers:

  • Bangerter Highway, which runs parallel to I-215 to the west
  • I-15 north to I-80 west
  • SR-201 west to the airport area

Detour maps and real-time conditions are available at udottraffic.utah.gov or through the UDOT Traffic app.

Part of a larger project

The ramp shutdowns are part of the I-215 West Improved project, a multi-year effort to replace 18 bridge decks and repair 12 additional bridges along I-215. Crews are also repaving multiple sections of the freeway.

The project reached its halfway point in June 2026, with 13 bridges completed and drivers shifted onto several miles of new pavement, according to a July 13, 2026, UDOT press release.

Another ramp at the same interchange, westbound I-80 to southbound I-215, was already closed through mid-August as of that July 13 update. That means drivers will face multiple simultaneous closures at the I-215/I-80 interchange through at least mid-August.

The full project is scheduled to wrap up in late summer of 2027. Construction schedules are weather-dependent and subject to change, according to UDOT.

What UDOT says

UDOT Project Manager John Montoya said the work is necessary to protect infrastructure already in place.

"Staying ahead of that maintenance helps keep our transportation system safe and reliable, and helps us get the most from the infrastructure Utahns have already invested in," Montoya said.

How to stay updated

Drivers can check live closure updates at udottraffic.utah.gov or by downloading the UDOT Traffic app.