Salt Lake City eyes new 400 South trail as it seeks better east-west connections
Oct 27, 2024, 6:00 AM
Julie Olson looks over the displays for a new multiuse 400 South trail in Salt Lake City with Laura Haddad and Katie Williams. Olson is hoping that local artists can be included in the project. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — 400 South serves as a vital link in Utah’s capital city.
It’s one of the few roads on the west side that travels over the railroad tracks and around I-15 — both of which divide Salt Lake City’s east and west sides — tying the neighborhood to downtown and, farther east, the University of Utah.
It also offers drivers freeway access, but all the traffic it generates can also be intimidating for others without a motor vehicle.
“It’s a route that I avoid,” said Mike Christensen, chairman of the Salt Lake City Planning Commission but also a resident of the Jordan Meadows neighborhood. He relies heavily on his electric bicycle to commute to the city.
Vehicular traffic, he explains, is too heavy to feel safe using bike paths, while a narrow pedestrian path is often blocked by junk dumped around it. It’s why he usually gambles on other routes periodically blocked by trains — sometimes for hours — to travel east.
Salt Lake City transportation planners are aware of these challenges, which is why they’re now working on a new multipurpose trail that seeks to improve the safety and connectivity between the east and west sides. The $8.1 million project includes a flashy new design for the south side of the 400 South Viaduct bridge that will help it stand out in the city.
Most of its design is complete, but planners are going through some final steps before construction next year.
Improving an east-west link
Salt Lake City’s 400 South Viaduct Trail emerged from ideas to improve access, particularly for west-side residents traveling by foot, bike or another form of active transportation.
The design it settled on, in partnership with the Utah Department of Transportation, would run along the south side of 400 South from about 900 West to 200 West.
The path will be a “combo” between a two-way bikeway and a multiuse trail. Protective barriers will run between the path and roadway at points, said Mary Sizemore, transportation project manager for Salt Lake City. No vehicle lanes will be impacted.
Read the full story at KSL.com
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