Developers suggest causeway on lake

PROVO (AP) — The idea of building a causeway across Utah Lake has surfaced again.

Developers Terry Harward and David Gardner suggest it be built from the Provo-Orem area on the east shore to the Mosida Orchards planned community proposed for the west shore.

"The causeway option is very preliminary, one that is going to take a couple of years or more," said Linda Walton, media consultant to Mosida Orchards. "I imagine it would take a couple of years to construct."

About 19,600 units are planned for Mosida Orchards.

The causeway has been proposed before, and a study in the early 1990s put the price at about $200 million, said Utah County Engineer Clyde Naylor.

Mosida executives are exploring several options for funding, including possibly getting the development annexed into Provo or Orem, and then get municipal help to build the causeway.

Provo and Orem officials are willing to listen.

Five months ago, Salt Lake City-based BlueLynx suggested a causeway across the lake from Geneva Steel, which BlueLynx then was looking to buy.

"It (a causeway) is never going to happen unless someone comes up with the commercial engine to drive it," said Rondo Fehlberg, a former consultant for BlueLynx.