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Underpasses or overpasses could replace hazardous traffic-rail crossings on some Lehi streets within the next few years, funding permitting.
Progress on future lines for FrontRunner commuter rail and tentative plans for the Transit Express in Utah County will add more rails crossing Lehi's Main Street at Center Street and at 300 East. There will also be rail lines at 2100 North and 2300 West.
The overpass/underpass proposal's price tag is in the tens of millions.
City engineer Lorin Powell proposed the idea of changing on-grade railroad crossings with Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner representatives earlier this year. His idea has opened up discussions with Union Pacific, UTA's Transit Express (light rail) representatives and the Utah Department of Transportation about the overpass/underpass plan.
"It's a huge project, much bigger than I anticipated," Powell told the City Council on Tuesday.
UTA opened the FrontRunner commuter line in April from Ogden to Salt Lake City, a length of 38 miles. Plans are to extend FrontRunner to Provo in a second phase by 2013, so FrontRunner engineers are working on a deadline and have given Lehi City until July 11 to come up with a workable proposal.
Lehi council members gave Powell a nod Tuesday to proceed with negotiations.
"I think we need to push this as far as we can," said Mayor Howard Johnson.
There are two FrontRunner stations planned for Lehi -- one at Thanksgiving Point in north Lehi and one at 850 East in south Lehi. The FrontRunner line will generally run parallel to Union Pacific's rail line on the west side of the city. The estimated cost for the city's proposed off-grade crossing is $20 million at Main Street and slightly less for the one on State Street.
"It's a lot of money," Powell said at the City Council meeting. "It's a lot more than I expected. I expected a lot less than this. It has dampened my interest considerably."
Resources for funding the project are varied and are key to the proposal as far as which entity funds what and how.
Powell said UDOT could be involved heavily in some of the projects.
"I think Lorin has done a tremendous job in representing our needs to UDOT, UTA and Union Pacific as it relates to railroad crossings and roads in our community," said Jamie Davidson, city administrator.
He said if Powell can manage an agreement to get off-grade crossings, "that would be huge for us."
UTA is interested in the proposal for its TRAX line as well, tentatively planned to run on a line east of the city from Salt Lake County through Utah County. UDOT hadn't responded by Tuesday to the city's latest proposal. |
