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- UTA's TRAX Red Line service is rerouted for most of the summer because of maintenance work.
- Repairs include track connections, guard rails and overhead wires replacement.
- Alternate bus routes are available for university access until regular service resumes by mid-August.
SALT LAKE CITY — Officials are drastically changing one of Utah Transit Authority's light-rail service lines for the next few months while it carries out a maintenance project on the tracks near the University to Utah.
A project to repair infrastructure on Utah Transit Authority's TRAX Red Line was slated to begin Saturday, leading to a major shift in service. Trains that typically travel east toward the University Medical Center Station on campus will instead be rerouted to travel through downtown Salt Lake City, following the Blue Line to Salt Lake Central Station.
"The Red Line is going to be shut down basically from the Courthouse Station all the way east along (400 South), through the S-curve and then all the way up to what is currently the end of the Red Line up to the university," said UTA spokesman Gavin Gustafson.
The project calls for the replacement of "worn-out parts" of the Red Line, including track connections, guard rails, the overhead wires that power trains and the interlocking system that helps prevent train collisions, according to the agency.
Infrastructure along the section where 400 South becomes 500 South near the university tends to wear down faster because of the curves and steep grade of the S-shaped curve, Gustafson explained.
"It does go through a pretty significant amount of wear and tear, so that's a big part of what we're doing there," he said.
The project is expected to continue through mid-August, which means the reroute will remain in place for months, aside from a brief pause surrounding Independence Day. Some limited Red Line TRAX service will briefly return July 3-5 for festivities planned by the university.
It won't affect the Red Line's southern route. All services between Courthouse Station and Daybreak in South Jordan will remain the same.
Riders seeking to reach the university are encouraged to take UTA's 1, 2 or 4 bus routes, which they can do by a bus stop located by the corner of 200 South and Main Street, less than a block from Gallivan Plaza Station. UTA officials are urging riders to plan ahead, advising that it could lead to delays of up to 45 minutes in travel time.
Both the 1 and 2 routes, which are currently being detoured because of a separate road project along 100 South near the university, reach University Medical Center Station.
Route 4 also travels along most of the Red Line route, taking riders to places like the Salt Lake City Main Library, Trolley Square and Rice-Eccles Stadium. UTA officials said they're adding additional service through Route 4R to accommodate expected rider demand from the TRAX closure, which will run between Gallivan Plaza and Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The project is scheduled to wrap up on Aug. 17, ending in time for the start of the University of Utah's fall semester. The same goes for Salt Lake City's 100 South project.
