"There were some special and unique concerns on this project with regards to vibrations, especially for the historical district, and I think the key aspect was the amount of outreach that was done with the residents, understanding their concerns," said Jeff Berna, an environmental specialist in the Salt Lake office of the FHWA.

"The lesson learned, I think, is we improved our communication with the residents. Many of the attributes and stipulations of this agreement were already in place. It was just a matter of communicating that to residents."

And the process will affect more than just the Legacy Parkway. Some of the stipulations concerning Native American involvement and findings of an archaeological nature will be incorporated in future transportation projects.

"We worked hard with some of the tribal members to get their input," Berna said. "And because of their satisfaction and our satisfaction, we're using that language on other agreements."

Reed Soper, a UDOT environmental manager, said UDOT has agreed to a specific threshold for vibration limits during the bridge work and "agreed to do some pre- and post-construction investigation of the homes, just to make sure nothing from the construction of our project would damage the homes in the historic district."

Greenhalgh said the agreement contains "two pages" of things UDOT, FHWA and the contractor promise to do to protect the homes. And that should allow Greenhalgh and his neighbors to sleep more soundly at night — at least until the actual work begins.

Thirteen homes in the Clark Lane Historic District are listed on the national historic register, but a total of 25 homes are covered by the agreement. The greater district includes homes built in each decade beginning with the 1840s, Greenhalgh said.

So far, 15 of those residents have signed the agreement. The signature-gathering process is expected to take a few more weeks.

Contributing: Nicole Warburton

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E-mail: zman@desnews.com