KAYSVILLE — The city's 200 North overpass is open after two years of work, and a special ribbon-cutting is planned Monday at 10 a.m. in the nearby First Choice Cars Parking Lot, 220 N. 650 West.

The public is invited.

The $21 million bridge spans the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and Utah Transit Authority's FrontRunner commuter rail line, reducing congestion and improving safety for motorists along the 200 North corridor. Growth on the city's west side has risen significantly in the past decade, making an overpass an important component to link the east with the west.

"This project's completion is a significant event in our city's history," said Kaysville Mayor Neka Roundy. "The new bridge enhances community health, safety and welfare as well as joins our community physically and aesthetically."

Decorative lighting and other aesthetic enhancements add to the visual appeal of the new structure.

Utah Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, plus Rep. Rob Bishop, are expected to attend the ribbon-cutting event.

Roundy and Alayna Williamson of the project's Design Advisory Team, a citizen's committee, also will attend.

Andy Thompson, Kaysville city engineer, has a mixed reaction to completion of the overpass. That's because the Utah Department of Transportation's "Lane Gain" project on I-15 started last March and is causing traffic restrictions along 200 North, just east of the new overpass.

"It kind of helps," Thompson said, regarding the opening of the overpass. "But we haven't had a clear shot yet."

Work on the "Lane Gain" project is scheduled to be completed this fall, and by then, 200 North should have unrestricted access east and west.

Commuter Rail Constructors is the general contractor for the 200 North overpass work, which began in fall 2006. The project was funded by a federal grant secured by Utah's congressional delegation.

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