Bike, pedestrian bridge opens

Phase one of the Salt Lake Valley's first ever east-west trail is now complete.

Local dignitaries on Friday officially opened a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge that spans I-215 to connect the Bonneville Shoreline Trail at the mouth of Parleys Canyon to Parleys Historic Nature Park.

One day, officials hope to continue the trail west eight miles all the way to the Jordan River Parkway.

"We're looking forward to that day, whenever it might come," said Reece Stein, KUTV's outdoor reporter, who emceed the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

If history repeats itself, completing the trail to the Jordan River Parkway won't be easy. Just getting the bridge built was a task in itself, said Rita Lund, co-chairwoman of the Parleys Rails Trails and Tunnels Coalition (PRATT), a non-profit organization of local leaders and residents pushing for trail construction.

Groundbreaking on the bridge was postponed several times because of fund-raising problems, Lund said.

"Finally, we've done it," Lund said. "It's been a long time coming."

If all proceeds according to plan, the trail will branch off from the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near "Suicide Rock" at the mouth of Parleys Canyon.

From there, it will basically follow the path of I-80 through several developed neighborhoods in Sugar House, Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake.

The route will go along arterial streets, a light-rail line, a rail yard and the "spaghetti bowl" interchange of I-80 and I-215 at 2100 South, before heading to the Jordan River.

The trail is expected to cost $20 million, and supporters have raised $13.5 million to date.

The federal government has granted $10.5 million to the project to date, and Salt Lake County leaders recently approved $2.6 million in Zoo, Arts and Parks tax revenue for the project. Salt Lake City also donated matching funds for design work on the project. Private donors have contributed, including REI, the Negley Flinn Charitable Foundation and the Semnani Foundation.

Construction will come in phases. Currently, there is only enough money to build to the Sugar House Business District, Farrand said.

Phase two will connect the nature park with Tanner Park. A paved trail there should be completed by next fall, said Juan Arce-Larreta, co-chairman of PRATT.

"We did it, finally," Arce-Laretta said. "This is a snowball at the top of the hill, and it's going to keep rolling. We've got a lot of projects on the way."

For more information on the trail, visit www.parleystrail.org.

---

E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com