WEST VALLEY CITY — A new section of the Mountain View Corridor opened to the public on Thursday.

Utah Department of Transportation crews unveiled the new portion, which stretches from state Route 201 to 4100 South, on Thursday.

This 4-mile MVC section included building two lanes in each direction, 13 new bridges and six pedestrian bridges, as well as the widening of some intersections.

“This is really going to improve the way people get around in western Salt Lake County,” said UDOT Deputy Director Teri Newell. “It’s going to change people’s lives every day by reducing their commute times, providing choices on how they travel, and giving people more time to do the things they want to do instead of sitting in traffic.”

Drivers can now take MVC from Redwood Road in Bluffdale to S.R. 201 in West Valley City; the 4-mile section that opened Thursday marked the first time Mountain View Corridor could connect to an east-west freeway system.”

A segment of the corridor also runs from S.R. 73 in Saratoga Springs to 2100 North in Lehi, with a highway connection to I-15.

MVC will eventually be a 35-mile highway that runs from Saratoga Springs to I-80, just west of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

Crews also built a new trail system along the corridor, giving Utahns the option to walk or commute by bike.

The project has been underway for two years and is estimated to cost $225 million.

The next phase of MVC construction will begin in 2023 connecting the Salt Lake County section that ends at 16000 South with the Utah County section at 2100 North in Lehi.

Funding to turn the corridor into a freeway, similar to Bangerter Highway, has been approved for the section between 16000 South and Old Bingham Highway.

Funding for the connection from S.R. 201 to I-80 has not been approved.