UTA to add 1st TRAX stop in nearly a decade. Here's where it's going

This map shows where a new TRAX station will be located in downtown Salt Lake City. The station, located on Main Street near 600 South, is between the Courthouse and 900 South stations along the blue, green and red lines.

This map shows where a new TRAX station will be located in downtown Salt Lake City. The station, located on Main Street near 600 South, is between the Courthouse and 900 South stations along the blue, green and red lines. (Utah Transit Authority)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — Construction of what will be the first TRAX light rail stop in nearly a decade began last week, Utah Transportation Authority officials said Monday.

The new station will be located near the intersection of 600 South and Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City, adding a new stop between the Courthouse and 900 South stations on the blue, green and red lines.

Officials added that residents can expect construction activity during days and nights over the next few months, which can include noise, dust, vibration and nighttime lighting. There may also be some sporadic lane closures over the span of construction.

UTA last opened new TRAX stops in 2013, when extensions of the green line from downtown Salt Lake City to the Salt Lake City International Airport and the blue line from Sandy to Draper went online. The 600 South station technically won't be the first new TRAX station since then because crews are currently constructing a new airport station to align with the new airport terminals that opened last year. That's expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The 600 South station is also the latest venture between Salt Lake City and UTA, which partnered for a bus service expansion plan within the city back in 2019 and for a microtransit pilot program earlier this year. It's located in the middle of where construction of new apartments and offices is happening in the city.

Salt Lake City officials and UTA agreed to partner on the 600 South station last year. The Redevelopment Agency of Salt Lake City is contributing $1.4 million toward the project, according to UTA officials.

"Transit access is essential to cultivating and maintaining equitable communities," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall in a statement Monday. "This new TRAX station will not only support the mid-town neighborhood's new activity sparked by forthcoming developments but also ease north and south connections for the area's longtime residents, businesses and organizations."

Cara Lindsley, a senior project manager for Salt Lake City, said during an RDA meeting back in December that funding is coming from private property owners constructing new buildings nearby. The total cost of the project was estimated to be $2 million at that time.

Lindsley said the station was originally supposed to be included when construction of TRAX began in the late 1990s but was ultimately left out of the plans. While the station was scrapped at the time, the space for a future one was still included during that construction.

The new station will feature artwork called "The Crossing," by the artist Jiyoun Lee-Lodge. It is expected to open for regular TRAX service beginning in early 2022, according to UTA.

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Carter Williams is a reporter for KSL.com. He covers Salt Lake City, statewide transportation issues, outdoors, the environment and weather. He is a graduate of Southern Utah University.

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Newsletter Signup

KSL Weather Forecast

KSL Weather Forecast
Play button