Kaysville approves contract for its portion of 'Rail Trail'

KAYSVILLE — The "Rail Trail" is on track in Kaysville.

The City Council voted unanimously to approve a contract with JUB Engineers for preconstruction engineering on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Rail Trail late last month.

"That's kind of exciting," Mayor Neka Roundy said. "People are so excited to have this route."

It will cost an estimated $500,000 to build the pedestrian-bicycle-equestrian trail through Kaysville. The city's share is 20 percent, or $100,000, and that was built into the current year's city budget. The design cost for JUB is $32,000, $8,000 of which is Kaysville's share, part of the $100,000 total.

City manager John Thacker said Kaysville's involvement with the trail complicates things somewhat, since the Rail Trail is a Utah Department of Transportation project on Utah Transit Authority property.

He said it's "a little more convoluted than the (200 North) overpass, but smaller."

Thacker also said the trail will connect to Barnes Park, via a sidewalk.

UTA gained property rights to the rail corridor, just west of the active Union Pacific rail line, in September 2002.

The Denver & Rio Grande ran its last train on the old line around 1985. Union Pacific has since torn up all the steel railroad track and wooden railroad ties. The crossing guards are all gone, and cities have paved over the old intersections.

The 66-foot-wide corridor runs from 400 North in West Bountiful to Nye's Corner in northeast Roy, Weber County — 23.69 miles. The line includes an approximate 20-mile path through the majority of Davis County.

Since the Rail Trail corridor parallels the future commuter rail path in Davis County, it may also provide indirect access to commuter users.

UTA has posted "no trespassing" signs along the corridor. While the level area with a cinder base looks ready now, liability and maintenance issues make it off limits for now — until development is complete section by section.

Besides Kaysville's plans to develop the Rail Trail, Clearfield will begin construction on its portion of the trail next spring. That section will go from 300 North southward to Antelope Drive and the Layton city boundary.

Clearfield has one of the prime sections of the Rail Trail because of numerous railroad overpasses that allow continuous use there without having to cross busy east-west streets.

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