New Thistle Junction Interchange on US-6 and US-89 Opens by Nov. 30

The new interchange at Thistle Junction, where US-89 splits from US-6 in Spanish Fork Canyon, will open to traffic by Monday, Nov. 30, 2026, the Utah Department of Transportation said Thursday. UDOT marked the milestone on Nov. 12 with an event for families who lost relatives in crashes at the old intersection. The project replaces a T intersection, and the left turn from US-89 onto US-6 that UDOT says has been part of five fatal crashes and eight deaths since 2003, with a bridge, an underpass and on- and off-ramps.

For drivers from Utah Valley headed to Price, Moab, Manti or the Sanpete County towns, it should mean an end to the one-lane squeeze that has slowed US-6 near the junction since May, and a safer way through the canyon before the worst of winter.

What UDOT announced

UDOT's Nov. 12 news release said the department is preparing to open the interchange and that it will open by Nov. 30. The new design carries US-6 over US-89 on a bridge, and drivers will get on and off each highway using new ramps with longer acceleration and deceleration lanes. Separating turning and merging traffic from the high-speed through traffic on US-6, UDOT said, is expected to significantly reduce the risk of serious crashes.

UDOT's project page describes the same layout from the other direction: US-6 stays at its current grade, and US-89 runs through a new underpass beneath it. The page also lists reconstructed turning movements alongside the new ramps.

The Daily Herald reported that the project's primary objective was saving lives, quoting UDOT project manager Tyler Faddis, who lives in Sanpete County and uses the junction himself. Faddis said the interchange will help commuters from Sanpete and Carbon counties. He also told the Herald that incoming weather could slow the opening, but that he hoped to see traffic passing through within a week.

A ceremony without a ribbon

UDOT did not hold a ribbon cutting. Instead, the Daily Herald reported, families sounded bullhorns and then took the first steps through the new underpass. UDOT's release said the event included remarks from a family that lost loved ones in a crash on the highway, and that UDOT gave families shadow boxes holding miniature replicas of the original rock memorial at the junction, which was removed for construction.

According to the Herald, the event was suggested by Amy Marcus, who asked that crash victims' families be invited. Marcus lost her 16-year-old daughter, Katie, and her 12-year-old son, Taylor, in 2014 while driving home to South Ogden from Mt. Pleasant, the paper reported. "It's a huge relief knowing that no one can die again taking a left-hand turn," she told the Herald.

UDOT Deputy Director Lisa Wilson said in the release, "We know that no road improvement can undo a family's loss, but we hope this interchange can help prevent other families" from going through the same thing.

Why this junction

UDOT says five crashes at or near the intersection have killed eight people since 2003. The Herald described Thistle Junction as one of the most dangerous intersections in the state. UDOT's May announcement called it one of the state's busiest junctions.

The problem was the left turn. Drivers coming north on US-89 had to turn left across US-6, a highway that carries heavy truck and recreational traffic at highway speeds between Utah Valley and eastern Utah. The new interchange removes that crossing movement.

How fast it was built

Crews started work in late April. UDOT's project page lists a start of Monday, April 27, and KSL reported on May 8 that the main construction phase had begun with a scheduled completion of Nov. 15. The Herald reported that nine months were cut from the projected construction time because the design engineer added resources and the contractor was given an incentive to finish early, so the interchange could be ready before winter.

The work has not been painless. Starting May 8, UDOT reduced a two-mile stretch of US-6 around the junction to one 10-foot lane in each direction, 24 hours a day, every day including holidays. UDOT warned of delays of up to 1.5 hours on peak holiday travel days and moderate delays on regular Friday and Sunday afternoons. UDOT project manager Eric Rasband said at the time, "This will slow things down, especially on holiday weekends, and we know that's frustrating," adding, "But getting this project done will save lives."

What drivers should expect now

Before it opens. Until UDOT switches traffic onto the new ramps, expect the same one-lane-each-way pattern near the junction. UDOT's project page says delays are likely, especially at peak times, and recommends traveling off-peak, using the zipper merge and checking the UDOT Traffic alert system.

After it opens. Drivers going between US-6 and US-89 will use ramps instead of turning at a stop. Give yourself time to read the new signs the first few trips, and expect crews to return in 2027.

In winter. UDOT's release said opening before winter gives drivers a safer route before snow and ice make canyon travel harder. Spanish Fork Canyon still sees serious crashes in any season. On Tuesday, Nov. 10, a semi rolled over near mile marker 199 on US-6 in the canyon and spilled fuel, KUTV reported. Two people had minor injuries and were released at the scene, and crews were there about two hours. Check conditions before you go, and see our guide to Utah's winter traction law and chains and winter tires for canyon driving.

Thanksgiving week. UDOT has said holidays bring the heaviest canyon traffic. If the interchange opens on schedule, Thanksgiving travelers to Sanpete County, Price or Moab may be among the first to use it, but UDOT has not announced a specific opening day. Watch the UDOT Traffic app.

The rest of the US-6 work

Thistle Junction is one piece of a long-running effort on US-6. UDOT says it has invested more than $150 million in US-6 over the past two decades, including widening, passing lanes, median barriers and intersection upgrades. UDOT's Nov. 12 release lists these other projects:

In August 2025, UDOT said its long-term goal is a four-lane US-6. Region 3 Deputy Director Boyd Humpherys said then, "US-6 is a critical route for so many Utahns, and these improvements are about making every trip safer."

If you use the canyon

The junction takes its name from the old railroad town of Thistle. Our guide to Spanish Fork Canyon, Diamond Fork, Sheep Creek and the Thistle site covers the history and the recreation stops along US-6. Heading south on US-89 instead? Our guide to things to do in Sanpete County starts at this junction. For other projects around the valley, see our Utah County road construction guide, and for UDOT's new tool that shows when canyon traction rules apply, read our story on UDOT's online traction tool.

UDOT's project hotline is 801-738-8149, and updates are posted at udotinput.utah.gov/us6thistlesafety.

Sources: UDOT news releases of Nov. 12, 2026, May 6, 2026 and Aug. 14, 2025; UDOT's US-6 and US-89 Thistle Junction project page; the Daily Herald; KSL; and KUTV, all checked Nov. 13, 2026.

Related Guides

• Spanish Fork Canyon, Diamond Fork and the Thistle site
• Utah County road construction
• The Thistle landslide of 1983
• Utah winter driving: traction law and chains
• Things to do in Sanpete County