Saying it is the least expensive option, UDOT is making plans to tear down the new, $1.5 million North Utah Valley Animal Shelter, should the economy ever unthaw.

Having considered all other options, construction of the Vineyard Connector will require the land the shelter is on, even though the shelter was just completed in 2006, Scott Thompson of UDOT confirmed to the Daily Herald.

Because of the frozen global economy, animals at the shelter won't be moved anytime soon. The Vineyard Connector is "on hold due to current economic conditions" according to a UDOT Web site dedicated to the project, and the state "will not move ahead with construction until funding issues are resolved. ... We expect to know more by the end of the legislative session in March."

"It means we don't do anything at this point," Thompson said. "We haven't purchased anything or had any need to move them. Until we know the project has the green light, nothing is going to change for them at the shelter."

Tug Gettling, director of the shelter, said he is aware of UDOT's plans.

"We're not jumping to any conclusions," Gettling said. "We are not really too concerned about it at this point."

How is it that no one stopped north county cities from spending $1.5 million three years ago to build the shelter, when the land was needed for the Vineyard Connector?

"I don't now if I have an answer for that," Thompson said. "I don't know if everyone knew what was happening."

UDOT is not sure how much it will cost the state to replace the shelter.

"We don't have a price," Thompson said. "We were starting to put a preliminary number on what it would cost, and then everything was put on hold."

Thompson said the state tried hard to miss the shelter as it designed the new road, but found that other routes would have been even more expensive.

"It became the least expensive," he said.

The state has already had discussions with the nearby waste transfer station, which has agreed to let the state purchase land for a new shelter once the existing shelter must be torn down.

Located in Lindon, the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter opened in January 2006, replacing an aging shelter owned by Orem. Four times larger than the old shelter, the Lindon facility was built to hold about 190 cats and 120 dogs.

Utah County paid for the construction of the new shelter and is leasing it to a special service district -- comprising communities north of Provo -- for $1 a year. Cities pay a fee to take animals to the shelter. Animals that are not adopted are euthanized.

For information on the Vineyard Connector, visit www.udot.utah.gov/vineyard. For information on the north county animal shelter, visit www.nuvas.org.