Pedestrian trail crossing under S.R. 73 to improve safety

LEHI — Bicyclists, hikers and equestrians will all have something to cheer about once a new pedestrian trail crossing goes in under state Route 73 west of Lehi.

Public input was invited at a meeting Thursday night hosted by the Utah Department of Transportation in Lehi. UDOT officials and project engineers were on hand to answer questions.

The crossing, part of the Jordan River Parkway Trail, will enable users to cross the road safely and continue on the path, which runs from the Great Salt Lake to Utah Lake.

Geoffrey Dupaix, a UDOT public-involvement coordinator, said safety was a major factor in deciding to build the tunnel.

"We received some calls from trail users because it's a precarious situation to cross state Route 73," Dupaix said. "We're separating the crossing so it will be safer for motorists and trail users."

Currently, those using the trail come up to S.R. 73 and, ideally, stop to see if there is traffic. A pedestrian crosswalk marks the area, and orange flags, provided through an Eagle Scout project last year are available for pedestrians to cross the road. With the speed limit at 50 mph, it can be difficult at times to cross safely.

Doug Hardy, a Lehi resident, said the area is dangerous for those wanting to cross as well as for motorists.

"I'm surprised there haven't been more accidents there," Hardy said. "I've seen people dart across the road."

Hardy isn't the only one who thinks the crossing is a great idea and anticipates using it when it is completed. Resident Heather Jordan agrees it is needed there.

"I used it once before with my kids," Jordan said. "But I stopped at the road and turned around because I didn't want to try crossing it with them."

Jordan lives near the area and sees many people using the trail, especially "bikers decked out in biker gear. I think they'll love it."

With S.R. 73 bumper to bumper at times during rush- hour traffic, construction is a concern to drivers.

"We're going to build the culvert one half at a time to maintain two lanes of traffic," Dupaix said. "This road serves several communities and we need to minimize traffic problems as much as we can."

The trail has been around since the late 1980s and is owned and maintained by each county it crosses through.

The cost of the project is an estimated $1 million, and, if all goes as planned, construction will begin as early as this fall.

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E-mail: knelson@desnews.com