BLUFFDALE, Utah, Aug. 25, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A new bridge completing the connection between Mountain View Corridor and Interstate 15 in Bluffdale is scheduled to open to traffic Friday afternoon.
Porter Rockwell Boulevard and its 435-foot-long, 65-foot-high bridge is expected to relieve traffic congestion on I-15, Redwood Road and Bangerter Highway, state transportation officials said. The new east-west route connects Mountain View Corridor to I-15 at 14600 South.
The bridge spans the Utah Transit Authority and Union Pacific railroad tracks, as well as the Jordan River, making it one of the longest and tallest of its kind in Utah, according to a news release from the Utah Department of Transportation.
The now-completed Porter Rockwell Boulevard provides new transportation options in the area for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, state transportation officials said. Porter Rockwell Boulevard is expected to be open in time for the Friday afternoon commute.
“With this project, we’ve built a new connection in our transportation system that can be used by anyone — whether they’re walking, riding a bike or in a car,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said. “This will help people in southern Salt Lake or northern Utah County travel where they want, when they want and how they want.”
Pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to safely access the Jordan River Parkway Trail from Porter Rockwell Boulevard beneath the new bridge. The new road features a 10-foot path along the north side, becoming the first east-west connection for pedestrians and bicyclists south of 12300 South, according to UDOT.
“The city of Bluffdale’s motto is ‘Life Connected,’ and that is what this bridge will do for us,” Bluffdale Mayor Natalie Hall said. “It will finally connect our east and west side. It will connect businesses. It will connect neighbors and students going to school. This bridge is historical for our city and will bring great economic opportunity as well.”
Porter Rockwell Boulevard was constructed in phases over the past decade to meet the transportation demands of Salt Lake and Utah counties, two of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, according to UDOT.
Completing the bridge was the final phase of the joint project from UDOT and Bluffdale.
This project is being built based on a long-debunked fallacy – that more roads will relieve congestion.
That’s just not true.
Roads don’t relieve congestion, but public transit does.
We should be building public-transit systems, not more car-dependent infrastructure.
This is so reckless and will only worsen the region’s air pollution.
Shame on UDoT.