Magna ends years of delay on road extension completion after fatal crash

MAGNA, Utah (ABC4) — On Thursday, Magna officials approved an agreement with D.R. Horton to complete the long-awaited extension of 4100 South, a project city leaders say is expected to be finished before the start of the 2026-27 school year. ​The extension will run from approximately 8400 West to the west side of the Little Valley Gateway development. Officials said the project faced years of delays because it crossed multiple jurisdictions and involved both private and public property. ​In addition to Magna City and D.R. Horton, the project required coordination with West Valley City, the Magna Water District, state transportation officials, and Rio Tinto. ​During Thursday’s special council meeting, Magna City and D.R. Horton said they are aiming to complete the roadway extension by August. Representatives also said grading and excavation work have already begun. ​Before today, if you asked either Magna City or West Valley City who was responsible for completing the unpaved extension of 4100 South, the answer often depended on who you asked. ​“I got in contact with Magna City Council, West Valley City Council, and the district, and I kind of just asked who was heading up the project to start, and I didn't really get a straight answer,” said Alexander Terry, a junior at Cyprus High School. ​That’s what Terry says happened when he started looking for answers about the unfinished roadway. ​“Earlier this year, we were told the road was going to be paved, but it just kept getting pushed back and pushed back, and it never really got done, so at some point, I think most of the student body kind of just gave up,” Terry said. ​Earlier this year, one of Terry’s classmates died in a rollover crash on the dirt roadway. After that, he started a petition to have the road paved. ​“Very upset that it took somebody dying for people to actually start caring about something so obvious,” Terry said. ​Cyprus High School sits along the dirt roadway, as does the Little Valley Gateway development, an area that sees hundreds of vehicles pass through each day. ​But now, after years of uncertainty, Magna City officials say there is finally a clear path forward. The city approved an agreement with D.R. Horton to pave the extension of 4100 South, running from 8400 West to the west side of the Little Valley Gateway development. “Optimistic, but felt regretful that one of the students lost their life and our kids had to deal with the issues of the road not being finished,” said Angela Keddington, who is a student at Cyprus High School. ​The Little Valley Gateway subdivision, a multi-phase D.R. Horton project approved in 2022, was tied to a master development agreement that required infrastructure improvements, including roadway improvements. Why did it take years to reach this point? Magna City officials told ABC4.com it came down to jurisdictional issues and disagreements over road design. While Magna City holds the development agreement, the roadway is also tied to West Valley City. ​At a September council meeting, a D.R. Horton representative said disputes over road width helped stall progress. ​Keddington says she spent months trying to get answers herself. ​“October, November, just calling Utah and working with West Valley and working with Magna and trying everything we could to see what the timeframe was on getting this road developed. It was just so frustrating and so disheartening the day that the student was killed because I felt like that's what was going to happen if we didn't have this road finished,” Keddington said. “We need to, in planning processes, do a better job at making sure we're being proactive and not reactive,” Keddington continued. ​Project costs are estimated between $3.6 million and $5.5 million. Officials said funding uncertainty delayed progress until the final day of the 2026 legislative session, when lawmakers approved up to $3 million for the project. D.R. Horton had previously secured another $1.8 million appropriation and agreed to contribute an additional $750,000 if needed. ​The roadway currently falls within West Valley City boundaries, which approved final plans for the extension on April 15. Magna City and West Valley City are now working through a boundary adjustment process that would shift the roadway fully into Magna’s jurisdiction while construction continues. Until that change is finalized, West Valley City will continue overseeing parts of the road. ​City officials thanked West Valley City, D.R. Horton, and other stakeholders for helping move the project forward after years of delays. ​“We have been making phone calls and running into dead ends, but this is hopefully a step forward. I just think it's sad because this should've happened a year ago, not now,” Keddington said.