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PROVO -- The Interstate 15 rebuild project in Utah County is about to impact joggers and bicyclists. The Provo River trail, which runs from Utah Lake to Provo Canyon, will close in the area of the freeway next week.
Joggers like Jerry Martin can be found running on the trail all day long. Many run from where the trail begins at Utah Lake, all the way to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon.
"I run it about four times a week, either running or biking," says Martin.
But a quarter-mile section of the trail near I-15 is about to be shut down for construction work.
"This will be an active construction zone," says UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson. "We're going to have a lot of heavy equipment in here. There's going to be bulldozers and graders and backhoes in here and so for the safety of everybody who uses this trail, we need to close it off. We don't want anyone getting hurt."
The closure will require a detour for those wanting to use the entire 14-mile trail.
- a10-foot-wide, newly-paved trail
- Increased height clearance (8 ft. minimum)on bridge crossings
- Lighted undercrossing to improve safety and visibility
"I guess I'll have to do more running on the road, which I don't like with the vehicles," Martin says.
UDOT officials, however, do promise some improvements to this area of the trail when the construction work wraps up.
"Once we finish it, we'll have a 10-foot-wide trail that will be newly paved," Thompson says. "We'll have an 8-foot height clearance. We'll have lighting for security and to brighten it up at night, so it will be a much better trail than it is today."
UDOT is warning those who use the trail to abide by the closures, even though some may think about sneaking through the construction zone.
"This is a safety hazard as it becomes an active construction zone, once we close it off," says Thompson. "We want people to be safe and we don't want anyone to be injured trying to get around the barricades, even though they may still see the trail still here."
The trail will be closed beginning Monday. It should be open again two years from now.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
