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There was a big celebration today for a 14-mile long Utah legacy. Legacy Parkway is officially open, and drivers are so far giving it rave reviews.
Just minutes after the parkway officially opened to the public, there was a steady stream of traffic both northbound and southbound. Some drivers had destinations, while some just wanted to try it out.
But cars actually weren't the first thing on the road today. A 5K and 10K run, and a 20K bike race were held on the Legacy Parkway before cars ever got close. The nearly $70,000 raised will go to the Hess Cancer Foundation. Travis Hess, with the Hess Cancer Foundation, said, "I have a personal belief that fitness is the best way to fight cancer."
Then, it was time for the official opening led by Gov. Jon Huntsman and his motorcycle. So what did people think of the new road? One person we spoke with said it was as smooth as glass. Twelve-year-old Kaden said, "It's really smooth and nice, and you have the fields on the side."
Nile Easton, spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), said, "For everybody who works at UDOT, this day is surreal because this project has been in the works for more than a decade. So to be here on the day when we're going to open it to the public is very exciting."
It didn't come cheap. State officials say the final tab for the parkway will be $685 million -- nearly $50 million a mile. Delays pushed the cost higher, and the state had to buy the land for the roadway and the preserve.
The project was halted for five years due to a lawsuit filed by several organizations including the Sierra Club. Terms of the settlement with the Sierra Club and others call for a 55-mph speed limit, no 18-wheelers and a larger-than-planned, 2,225-acre nature preserve.
Today activists said they were pleased with the final project. Marc Heileson, with the Sierra Club, said, "This is an environmentally-friendly project with transit, a beautiful nature preserve, and it shows how valuable it is when citizens get involved in a project."
"We've actually got quite a bit of traffic for a Saturday. A lot of it is curiosity traffic," said Easton. But the real test will be the start of next week as commuters grade this legacy. Commuter Scott Fisher said, "This is actually my route to work starting Monday morning, so we're ready to go."
An estimated one million man hours went into building the Legacy Parkway, and UDOT hopes you take the time to notice the extras like the design on the bridges, the pocket wetlands, the walking and biking trails, all while paying attention to the road.
And the project isn't completely finished. "We still have some landscaping to do -- about 20,000 native plants and 2,600 trees to put in," Easton said. "So by next spring, all that landscaping will be taking root."
The parkway at its north end departs I-15 in Farmington and hooks up with I-215 near Salt Lake's airport. "It's really for people who travel to the west side of Salt Lake City or who want to go south or out to the airport," Easton said.
Over the long run, Legacy is expected to draw up to 40,000 vehicles a day -- more at the outset, he said. "We have all of our traffic counters ready. We think it will take four to six weeks to get a good number because there's going to be a curiosity period when people just want to try it," he said.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
(The Associated Press contributed to this story. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
