BLUFFDALE — In southern Salt Lake County, the last section of a crucial east-west connection is now open to traffic. Officials from the Utah Department of Transportation and regional authorities gathered on Thursday to commemorate the completion of Porter Rockwell Boulevard’s 435-foot-long and 65-foot-tall bridge. The boulevard connects Interstate 15 at 14600 South to state Route 68 and the Mountain View Corridor on the southwest part of the county with the aid of the bridge, one of the state’s longest and highest bridges.
On Friday afternoon, it initially opened to traffic. Natalie Hall, the mayor of Bluffdale, remarked, “It will finally connect our east and west side.” “It will link companies. It will bring together locals and school children. This bridge will bring both significant economic potential and historical significance to our community.”
The Porter Rockwell Bridge is opening TOMORROW (Friday) afternoon. 🥳 We can’t wait for you to use it! pic.twitter.com/8iHKKL5k7l
— Utah DOT (@UtahDOT) August 25, 2022
According to Carlos Braceras, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation, crews started working on Porter Rockwell Boulevard around ten years ago and gradually finished the project in phases. But the last part was a real challenge. The Jordan River Bridge, two canals, and railroad tracks owned by Union Pacific and the Utah Transit Authority were all part of the plan.
State transportation officials claim that with the bridge now in place, the boulevard offers the first east-west connection for bikers and pedestrians in Salt Lake County south of 12300 South. According to UDOT, the bridge also features a brand-new, 10-foot-wide path that runs beside the corridor for Jordan River Parkway users.
Because it reduces part of the north-south traffic utilized to locate links between east and west, Utah transportation authorities hope the recently finished boulevard will ultimately help reduce congestion on major roads in the vicinity like I-15, Redwood Road, and Bangerter Highway. According to Braceras, this is critical because a sizable amount of the state’s growth is being driven by the southern Salt Lake and northern Utah counties.
With this effort, he said, “we’ve created a new link in our transportation network that everyone can utilize, whether they’re walking, riding a bike, or in a car.” “People in southern Salt Lake or northern Utah County will be able to go when they want, where they want, and how they want with the help of this.”
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