It won’t be long before air travelers will be able to commute to the airport via Trax. Crews began constructing the line that will run along North Temple Street around the middle of 2009. They started the six-mile project at the airport and have been working their way into the city. When they reach the city, the line will run down the middle of 400 West and North Temple. Once the project is completed, Trax officials anticipate that the commute from downtown to the airport will take about 20 minutes.
In addition to the Trax line, a major reconstruction of North Temple is also underway. Utah’s Department of Transportation (UDOT) owned that corridor up until 2007 when they turned it back over to the city. Since that time, officials have been using city funds to pursue a rezoning of the area to make it more of a transit-oriented development. City Council members have been unanimously in favor of the rezoning and reconstruction of the corridor.
The plan is to rebuild the roadway to better accommodate the variety of commuter traffic through that section of downtown. The enhancements will include shortening the bridge, adding a 10-foot shared path for bicycles and pedestrians, and reducing the number of vehicle lanes from seven to two which will include a turn lane and the Trax line. Work on the Trax line near the airport is progressing on schedule. There is a bridge over the Jordan River that will be reconstructed in order to hold the weight of the Trax line. Later this year, the focus of the project will be in the downtown area. The entire project is slated to be completed toward the end of 2012 or early 2013.
By Salt Lake Digs Contributor, David Jensen
Photo courtesy of Josh Sudweeks http://www.flickr.com/photos/sudweeks/4316542163/
