UDOT's work to improve transportation also creates opportunities to support our community in unexpected ways. Before homes along Bangerter Highway are demolished for upcoming construction, UDOT’s Right of Way (ROW) team allows local law enforcement and fire agencies to use the structures for realistic training exercises.

Recently, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used one of the homes to practice tactical operations in a real residential setting. Following the training, DEA Special Agent Eric Breyer expressed his appreciation to the ROW division, noting that access to actual homes provides a level of realism that warehouse spaces and training facilities simply can't replicate, helping improve officer tactics and enhance both officer and public safety.

Partnerships like these allow UDOT projects to provide an added benefit to the communities we serve, supporting first responders as they prepare for critical situations while making the most of properties slated for demolition.