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SALT LAKE CITY -- A major change is coming to downtown Salt Lake City with the tearing down -- and rebuilding -- of a major thoroughfare.
In a little more than a month, a viaduct used by thousands of people a day will be coming down: the North Temple viaduct.
Next month it will be demolished as part of the project to extend light-rail from downtown to the Salt Lake International Airport.
The old warhorse known as the North Temple viaduct is a fixture, a major landmark in downtown Salt Lake City. But you'll hear few complaints about its demise in favor of a spiffier bridge.
Salt Lake resident Joshua Houston says he was glad to hear the new bridge will have six-foot bike lanes in each direction.
"I think that'll make it just a lot easier because there's a lot of bikers in Salt Lake, I've noticed," Houston said. "So I think that a lot of people will be able to benefit from that."
The $71 million rebuild will also have two lanes of traffic instead of three, 10-foot pedestrian walkways on each side, plus the rail line and a new transfer station to connect with FrontRunner, projected to draw 1,500 passengers a day.
"People will have to get used to going a different way, but at the end of the day it's a great project and the whole area, the city and region will benefit from it," said Matt Sibul, the Airport TRAX Line Project Manager.
More than 25,000 cars a day travel over the bridge. Now, they'll have to find alternate routes like 600 North and 400 South.
At the Red Iguana restaurant, west of the viaduct, they're bracing for changes, opening up a second restaurant nearby and joining a community group aimed at keeping businesses along North Temple alive during construction.
Co-owner Bill Coker said, "That's a very fearful situation. It can be crippling, so that's why we're making every effort to try encourage people to try to come and shop in the area and support us during this period."
The Red Iguana's owners say they enthusiastically support the project in general and are willing to endure the short-term pain for long-term gain.
"Well we're excited about it," said co-owner Lucy Cardenas. "We think it'll be a great thing once it's done."
UTA plans a big event on demolition day, April 18, when crews start dismantling the bridge.
Construction on the viaduct will take about 18 months. The entire line is set to open in late 2012 or early 2013.
For those who would like to learn more about the viaduct project, UTA will be holding an open house on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will be held at 669 W. 200 South in Salt Lake City.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
