Two-thirds of our state's population lives in that 100-mile stretch, and half of it commutes to work every day. Or used to. Congestion has eased a lot due to work at home rules. They never finish work on I-15, they just move to different parts of it year after year. Salt Lake City is a true crossroads, with interstates and trains coming in from all four directions, plus it's a major airline hub. Walmart, Costco, Sysco, Fedex, and UPS all have massive transport hubs here. So, yeah, we have traffic and air pollution. When Ol' Brigham said "This is the place" he wasn't kidding.
The upside is that once you clear that stretch, the state is as open, clear, and wild as you discovered it is.
