SANDY — Utah officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday to mark the start of service at the new Sandy Expo TRAX station, located at 9400 South and 150 East.

The station will provide access to three major destinations in Sandy: the Salt Lake County Exposition Center, Jordan Commons and the proposed Real Salt Lake soccer stadium. All are located near the intersection of 9400 South and State Street.

Each year, more than 4 million people visit the Expo Center and Jordan Commons, according to Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan. The Real stadium is expected to bring another 1 million people to the area around 9400 South.

"This will be a significant event stop, and I think people from all over the valley will use it," said Dolan, who was wearing a red Real Salt Lake cap during the ribbon-cutting event.

Earlier this month, Sandy officials and Salt Lake County government leaders reached an agreement with Real to build the stadium in Sandy. The stadium is expected to be part of a major retail and housing development in the area.

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, told a small crowd gathered at the ribbon-cutting that he was committed to "investing in this type of infrastructure," referring to the station. Matheson serves on the House Transportation Committee and helped get federal funding for the station.

The station cost $2.1 million, with 80 percent to be paid with federal dollars. The rest is locally funded.

During the ceremony, two trains pulled into the station. A handful of people got off, some with bikes.

Unlike most stations in the south part of the valley, the 9400 South station does not have a park-and-ride lot. It's a drop-off, or destination station, said Orrin Colby, president of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Transit Authority.

House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, said Monday that the station was part of an overall vision to develop and bring business to Sandy. "I look forward to continued development," he said.

Curtis and other Utah lawmakers are currently debating whether to support a special legislative session to raise Salt Lake County's sales tax to help pay for four proposed lines to expand TRAX. One of the lines would begin in Sandy and extend to the Point of the Mountain.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com