Commuter-rail system on track

Rail has yet to be laid, but the Utah Transit Authority is touting great progress on its 44-mile commuter-rail system from Salt Lake City to Weber County.

In Ogden, crews are laying foundation for a half-mile "flyover" bridge, which will take trains over the Ogden rail yard and Weber River. Near Farmington and Kaysville, brown dirt and orange traffic cones mark where crews have cleared ground and prepared to lay rail this summer.

But perhaps the greatest mark of progress, according to UTA officials, is a planned unveiling this Wednesday of the official name for commuter rail.

"We've been carrying the burden of this name, this secret identity, for a long time," said UTA spokesman Justin Jones.

"It'll be a neat thing to have a name that people can put toward the project, and it will go a long way toward differentiating it from light rail," said Steve Meyer, UTA manager of commuter-rail construction.

UTA will be releasing the name publicly on Wednesday, along with the design and paint-scheme of the commuter rail cars. Despite repeated requests, the transit agency refused to divulge details or give any hints about what the name and design will be.

The system won't, however, be named after TRAX, according to UTA officials.

Names like "Wasatch Area Rapid Transit" or "Salt Lake Urban Transit" are also a no.

"Wasatch Area Rapid Transit is certainly a name we dismissed immediately," said Jones. "Abbreviating Wasatch Area Rapid Transit spells trouble — as well as WART."

Come early 2008, construction on commuter rail is anticipated to finish. At present, about 20 percent of the line is complete, according to Meyer. This summer, crews will begin laying rail.

While impact to area traffic is anticipated to be minimal during construction, UTA will also be doing some work this summer at "grade crossings," or where rail intersects with road. Some nighttime closures will take place during that grade work, said Jones. Updates will be listed on UTA's Web site: www.utabus.com.

Additional information about commuter rail, including details about planned stations, is also available on the UTA Web site.

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E-mail: nwarburton@desnews.com