Utah, Davis to repair Antelope's causeway

FARMINGTON — State and Davis County officials are cooperating on a project to reconstruct parts of the causeway to Antelope Island in Great Salt Lake.

Davis County is getting $450,000 from the state Department of Transportation to make repairs to the causeway, which provides the only land access to Antelope Island State Park.

Public works director Tom Smith said that under the agreement, the county will provide matching funds for construction and administer the project totally, from supervising crews to doing inspections.

The project will replace stone armoring along the causeway wall, with special attention to the northwest side that borders Gilbert Bay. That area receives the most hammering from waves.

The 7.2-mile causeway between Syracuse and the island was rebuilt in the 1990s after the original road was washed out by flood waters in 1983.

Davis County receives a slice of the $8 vehicle fee paid by park visitors and uses the money to maintain the road.

The county will advertise the repair project beginning this weekend and will accept bids from contractors during the first week of October. The final phase of the project will begin in mid-October and should be completed by Dec. 31.

The repairs will not interfere with travel on the causeway, Smith said.