Finishing Touches
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By Mitch Shaw
Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau
After 10 years of work on 14-mile stretch, Legacy opening early
FARMINGTON -- The anticipation is almost over: In less than a month, the Legacy Parkway will be open for vehicular travel.
The $685 million, 14-mile Legacy Parkway is the south Davis segment of the larger Legacy Highway project, eventually extending from Brigham City to Nephi.
After more than a decade in the making, the alternative to Interstate 15 will finally open on Sept. 13.
"We are excited to finally see this day," said Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Nile Easton. "It's been in the works for over 10 years, and at one point, we planned for it to be open for the (2002) Olympics, so to finally realize this is great."
The Sept. 13 date is actually earlier than what UDOT had originally planned.
Legacy project director Todd Jensen said UDOT had committed to the Legislature that the project would be finished by October.
"We've said all along that it would be finished by fall, and Sept. 13 is technically still summer," Jensen said. "So we made it ahead of schedule."
Jensen said construction contractors operated on "substantial completion date" schedules, meaning the road could open when it was ready for traffic.
Remaining construction tasks, such as the widening of Parrish Lane between I-15 and 1250 West and landscaping for the roadway and trail system, will continue through the fall. A section of the trail will be blocked off for public safety while crews work on the landscaping.
The Saturday opening is unusual for UDOT.
"We wanted it to be ready before the Monday morning commute," Jensen said. "We didn't want to have the ceremony while people are ready to drive on it."
To celebrate the historic opening, UDOT will host a run, walk and bike ride on the corridor to raise money for the Hess Cancer Foundation, a Kaysville organization that provides financial assistance to families who lose a young child to cancer and aren't financially prepared for it.
"It's going to be a landmark day for Utah commuters," said Angela Linford, public information manager for the Legacy project. "But we are also helping a very worthy cause."
UDOT will also allow Farmington residents to name the new interchange that will connect U.S. 89, Legacy and I-15.
"It's kind of like the Spaghetti Bowl in Salt Lake," Linford said. "UDOT and community leaders will look at the submissions and pick a name for it."
Even before I-15 was completed during the mid-1960s, leaders and planners in Davis County understood the need for an alternative highway route.
According to UDOT, the yet-to-be-built road was referred to as the West Davis Highway. In the late 1990s, it became the Legacy Parkway.
Environmental impacts were first evaluated in 1997 and construction began in 2001, but was delayed for four years after a court injunction. Construction picked up again in March 2006.
"It's definitely been a long time coming," said Easton. "It's going to make life a lot easier for commuters in Northern Utah."
Transportation officials say 30 percent of I-15 traffic will move to the Parkway. Their hope is that Legacy, the FrontRunner commuter rail and the expansion of I-15 will partner to combat Northern Utah's growing congestion problems.
For more information on the naming contest and the Hess Cancer Foundation run, go to www.udot.utah.gov/legacy/contest/.
Add Your Comment
Well according to UDOT's website traffic increased 153 cars a day between March and May (FrontRunner opened in April). 700 million dollars down the toilet. If Legacy carries 30% of the 142,000 cars on I-15 we should see about 43,000 cars on the Parkway. Problem solved.
FronrRunner failed, I hope Legacy works, my wallet is empty.
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