The vision, several years in the making, requires extending the road through existing agricultural land in Orem City. In 2022, $14,698,200 was selected for the project, to be used in 2025. 

In a joint Provo-Orem city council meeting Monday, Orem staff gave an update on the process of acquiring the land necessary to build out the road. 

Orem engineer Taggart Bowen said there are a few owners the city is still working with to acquire right-of-way. The biggest challenge, he said, is acquiring right-of-way for a storm drain easement for the road. 

“We have a draft stormwater easement that we’ve been going back and forth with (the landowner’s) attorney on, and it’s moving pretty slow,” he said. “We’ve been working on this for a few years at least.”

There is another gap Bowen said is called “Paul’s lane.” No ownership is shown on the land, but it is used as an access easement for farmers. The city is working with one of the farmers to come to terms with them to acquire the right-of-way for the lane. 

Asked by Provo Councilwoman Katrice McKay what the timeline is for completing the project, Bowen said the total cost is $20 to $21 million, and that the city has to address the shortage that the $14.7 million of MAG funds do not cover. 

He added that MAG has informed Orem that it will not hold that funding for too long. Another city official said in the meeting they don’t plan on the MAG funding extending another two years. 

“That’s kind of a hard deadline for us,” the official said. “We will be having discussion internally as administrative staff and with the council about viable next options on this. 

McKay asked if the project is important to Orem.

“It’s important to Orem, it’s probably more important to Provo,” the official said. 

However, Orem officials indicated that they are eager to get the project completed.  

“We’ve been working with the (landowner) for years, we’ve been making progress and then it just stops,” Bowen said. “So we’re trying different ideas and as long as we’re progressing I don’t think the MAG funding is in danger. They’re wanting to work with us and get this done too.” 

Added Orem Mayor Karen McCandless: “We want to be a good regional partner.” 

Provo Councilwoman Becky Bogdin, who represents west Provo, asked that Orem complete it “as soon as possible.” 

“It will be a gamechanger,” she said.