Transportation projects to rev up Utah economy

More than $14.4 billion in Utah transportation projects planned over the next three decades will bring thousands of new jobs and increase the state's overall competitiveness, according to a new report.

The report, sponsored by the Utah Transit Authority and prepared by the Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Utah, said new transit and highway infrastructure projects — which include commuter rail extending from Weber County to Utah County and new freeways like the Legacy Parkway — will increase the Wasatch Front's overall competitiveness and result in thousands of jobs.

At least $10 billion is planned in new highways. Another $4.4 billion in transit projects is slated for the four-county Wasatch Front area.

Construction spending from those projects would amount to $531.6 million annually over a 27-year period, the report said, and will produce a wide range of economic impacts.

"These may include reduced travel times, increased accessibility and improvements to air quality and safety," the report said. "Transit investments can also reduce the demand for parking, improve access to employment centers and consequently raise regional productivity by lowering infrastructure costs."

While funding sources for the $14.4 billion of new transit and highway construction projects have not been identified, the report said, planners anticipate that the federal share could range from 30 percent to 35 percent.

Federal dollars financing Utah transportation projects will provide for roughly 2,800 additional jobs annually, the report said. In addition, the state's gross state product will rise by about $211.8 million per year.

"In 2002, the average monthly wage for the construction sector in Utah was $3,467, which is 38 percent higher than the $2,510 average wage for all jobs in the state," the report said. "Jobs generated by heavy construction projects are on average higher skill and pay than the average for all sectors."

State income taxes generated by the economic activity would average $19.2 million annually, the report said.

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