The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the City of Bluffdale announced that the new Porter Rockwell Bridge is now complete and will open to traffic August 26 in the afternoon, just in time for evening commuters.
With the bridge in place, Porter Rockwell Boulevard now connects Mountain View Corridor to I-15, and congestion on I-15, Redwood Road, and Bangerter Highway is expected to decrease.
According to a press release from UDOT, the completed Porter Rockwell Boulevard provides new transportation options for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as drivers. Under the new bridge, access to the Jordan River Parkway Trail from Porter Rockwell Blvd. is accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. The new road features a 10-foot path along the north side, which will provide the first east-west connection for pedestrians and bicyclists south of 12300 South.
“With this project, we’ve built a new connection in our transportation system that can be used by anyone – whether they’re walking, riding a bike, or in a car,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said. “This will help people in southern Salt Lake or northern Utah County travel where they want, when they want, and how they want.”
“The City of Bluffdale's motto is ‘Life Connected’ and that is what this bridge will do for us,” said Natalie Hall, Mayor of Bluffdale. “It will finally connect our east and west side. It will connect businesses. It will connect neighbors and students going to school. This bridge is historical for our city and will bring great economic opportunity as well.”
The new Porter Rockwell bridge is 435 feet in length and 65 feet high, making it one of the longest and tallest bridges of its kind in Utah. It spans the Jordan River and the UTA and Union Pacific railroad tracks.
Porter Rockwell Boulevard was constructed in phases over the past decade to meet the transportation demands of Salt Lake and Utah counties, two of the most rapidly growing counties in the country. The Porter Rockwell bridge is the final phase of this effort by UDOT and Bluffdale to construct a new east-west route to connect I-15, Mountain View Corridor and Redwood Road at the far southern end of Salt Lake County.
The total budget for the project was $44 million, with $25 million going towards construction.
“This project required a significant amount of money to be spent on right of way and utilities because of all the third parties in the area,” says Brian Allen, the Project Director with UDOT.
The development for the project started in the fall of 2018, with work beginning 2 years later in 2020. UDOT estimated the construction would be finished in the spring of 2022, but is finishing a little later than anticipated.
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Source: AASHTO
