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Another seven miles of the new Mountain View Corridor highway is opening two months ahead of schedule at 3 p.m. Saturday — after officials hold bike races and a party on it to celebrate.

The Utah Department of Transportation will open the corridor between Redwood Road at Porter Rockwell Boulevard (about 16000 South) in Bluffdale and the Old Bingham Highway (about 10200 South) in West Jordan — nine miles total.

UDOT previously opened a two-mile stretch of that highway in June, between 12600 South and 13400 South.

The corridor — which is roughly at 5800 West for much of its length — will eventually become a freeway. However, the portion opening on Saturday is the future frontage roads of that yet-to-be-built freeway. It will offer two-lanes in each direction (separated widely by where the future freeway will be built), plus bike lanes and hiking trails.

The Utah Transportation Commission took a tour of the new stretch Wednesday, and saw a few of its unique features. Some portions of it are so remote from developed areas now that power lines do not reach the area, "so we use solar-powered lights," said Project Director Teri Newell.

Its intersection with Redwood Road will also feature the state's first radar-activated turn signal for bicycles. It will allow cyclists on Redwood Road to be detected by radar to activate traffic lights to allow them to cross that busy street from right hand lanes to enter the corridor.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the University of Utah Health Care Center parking lot at 5126 W. Daybreak Parkway in South Jordan. Food and activities will follow there until 1 p.m.

UDOT is also giving bicyclists a chance to use the roadway before cars. Immediately after the ribbon cutting, it is hosting a 20-mile bike race, a 5-mile bike race and a children's costume bike parade. Participants must have bike helmets. More information is available online at udot.utah.gov/mountainview.

The corridor will eventually run 35 miles between Interstate 80 in Salt Lake County and Lehi. Another section of the road between Old Bingham Highway and 5400 South is scheduled to open in December.

The section that is opening Saturday originally was not scheduled to open until December also, but Newell said UDOT is happy to open it early to meet community needs.