Gate closures begin Sept 22 at Hill AFB

  • Published
  • By Kevin Patzer
  • 75th Civil Engineer Group
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Starting Sept. 22, the 75th Civil Engineer Group will install speed tables at the South, West and Roy Gates. The construction will significantly affect the base gates, as well as inbound and outbound traffic.

Hill AFB will construct these speed tables in order to comply with Department of Defense antiterrorism standards. Speed tables are similar to speed bumps but with slopping angular sides instead of a rounded profile.

"We recognize this will be an inconvenience for our workers and visitors, but this project will improve base security and allow us to more efficiently move traffic on the base," said Col. Ron Jolly, 75th Air Base Wing and installation commander. "We appreciate everyone's patience during this construction period."

The speed tables will replace the concrete serpentines currently located at the gates. By removing these barriers, the South Gate will gain an additional inbound and outbound lane.

The South Gate's construction will begin Sept. 22 and is anticipated to conclude Oct. 5.

During this time, the South Gate will close completely to include the intersection just inside the gate where Balmer crosses South Gate Avenue. Traffic will divert to the East and Southwest Gates.

The East Gate will be open from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday. The Southwest gate will open 24/7 and the West and Roy Gate hours will remain the same. The West Gate's current operating hours are 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Friday (closed weekends, holidays and on Air Force Materiel Command Family Days), and the Roy gate is open 24/7.

While the South Gate is closed, visitors will still be able to access the South Gate Visitor Center from State Route 193, but will then need to enter another gate to access the base.

When the South Gate construction concludes, the West Gate will close from Oct. 6-19, and its construction will begin.

During this period, the South Gate will return to normal 24/7 service, and the East Gate will close. The Southwest Gate will also return to normal hours 5 to 8 a.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m., weekdays only (closed weekends, holidays and on Air Force Materiel Command Family Days).

Following the West Gate construction, the Roy Gate's construction will be completed in two phases Oct. 20 - Nov. 8, and will operate at a reduced capacity, but will not close entirely. All other gates will return to their normal, operating hours on or about Oct. 20.

During the Roy Gate closure, passenger vehicles will enter the base through the Hill Aerospace Museum Gate, located several yards before the Roy Gate entrance. During the initial phase of construction on the Roy Gate, trucks will enter through the normal truck entrance. During phase two, the truck lane will close and trucks will enter through the Roy Gate's regular passenger vehicle entrance.

The construction schedule is contingent upon weather conditions and could be subject to delays. Delays will be announced on the Hill AFB website, www.hill.af.mil.

For more information or questions, please contact the 75th CEG project manager, Kevin Patzer, at 801-777-0458.