- Salt Lake City wants to close some streets for the Salt Lake Temple open house.
- Closures aim to manage crowds from April to October 2027.
- The Church of Jesus Christ will pay $2 million for road leases; economic boost expected downtown.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's capital city is planning ahead as it prepares for the reopening of the historic Salt Lake Temple, which is projected to attract millions of visitors next year.
The Salt Lake City Council is considering an ordinance that would temporarily close a few downtown road segments for "public safety and crowd management" from April to October in 2027. A public hearing will likely be held on March 10 before the council votes on the matter.
If approved, the measure would apply to the roads surrounding the western end of Temple Square, as well as some adjacent roads.
Traffic along North Temple would be closed from 200 West to Main Street, while West Temple would be closed from 200 North to South Temple. A segment of South Temple would also be closed from West Temple to Main Street. A mix of fencing and traffic control barricades would be used to mark off these sections throughout the closure, according to a city memo.
That's because the event is expected to attract more than 20,000 visitors every day. Closing these segments can help reduce the traffic challenges expected from that, said Andrew Wittenberg, a spokesman for the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office.
"The city aims to temporarily close select streets near Temple Square to vehicle traffic to reduce congestion, manage large pedestrian volumes and prevent accidents," he said in a statement to KSL.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will pay the city over $2 million for the temporary lease of the affected roadways as compensation for the closures, which will be "reinvested into the city," he added. People are urged to take detours around the closures or use alternative transportation, such as TRAX.
Salt Lake City's proposed street closures aren't the only measures taking place ahead of next year's open house. The church announced last year that it would demolish the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel west of Temple Square and temporarily use the space for additional parking in 2027.
The Salt Lake Temple, which was dedicated in 1893, has been closed since late 2019, when a project to renovate and seismically retrofit the historic building began. Scaffolding along the exterior of the building is slowly coming down as the lengthy project enters its final year.
Church leaders announced a six-month open house would take place in 2027 before the temple is rededicated. Officials met with various government entities afterward to discuss the logistics of the event, telling them that 3 million to 5 million people are expected to show up for a unique tour inside the renovated temple.
While the event aims to bring people into one of the church's most sacred buildings, it could also have a major impact on the downtown economy.
It could generate approximately $320 million in additional spending at downtown businesses and restaurants, the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance projected from the visitor projections. Dee Brewer, the organization's director, told city leaders last month that the organization plans to assist by offering staff hospitality kiosks, street activation and entertainment options to draw more people into downtown and review ways to support downtown businesses.
"Visitors are already the biggest audience sector in the downtown economy, and we expect this six-month event will increase total visitor days downtown by 20% in 2027," he said.
