Utah Rail Plan Key to Greener, More Sustainable Communities

Utah’s Frontlines 2015 program will add 70 miles to Utah Transportation Authority’s existing 64-mile rail network. The project has already beaten its construction schedule by 15 months and may beat the $2.8 billion budget for the five rail lines. The Wasatch Front, a chain of cities that includes Salt Lake City, Provo, and Ogden, is home to two million people. The five Frontline projects include: the Mid-Jordan TRAX Line that connects Murray, Midvale, West Jordan and South Jordan with the existing Sandy/Salt Lake TRAX line; the Airport TRAX Line, a six-mile light rail extension comprising six stations; the West Valley TRAX Line, a 5.1-mile light rail connecting that includes four stations; the Draper TRAX line, a 3.8-mile extension from Sandy Civic Center to Draper City; and the FrontRunner South commuter line from Provo Intermodal Center to the Salt Lake Central Station in downtown Salt Lake City. The agencies involved have worked together to solve right-of-way challenges, and have taken an innovative approach to contract types, packaging, scheduling and funding.