Provo City wants to give the bridge at 820 North and 850 West a makeover. The structure built in 1960 sits on top of the Provo River and trail.

The city’s public works department says with growth in the area, the 64-year-old structure is nearing it’s lifespan and no longer meets the needs for active transportation. According to a website about the project, the bridge’s existing condition has numerous structural issues including the condition of guard rails and deck geometry.

“It’s in bad shape and needs to be repaired,” Public Works Director Gordon Haight told the Daily Herald. “It’s on the state registry as one of the bad bridges that needs replacing.”

Discussions about how to fix the bridge have been happening for some time through dozens of meetings with input from city leaders, City Council members, transportation groups and now local citizens.

On Tuesday evening, the Public Works engineering department briefed residents who live on 820 North and surrounding areas during a neighborhood meeting at Exchange Park about their plans to rebuild the bridge and hear their concerns surrounding potential community impacts.

A similar meeting is scheduled for next week with people who reside on the east side of the thoroughfare.

The Mountainland Association of Governments allocated just over $12 million in Provo sales tax funds two years ago to rebuild the bridge.

The current width of the bridge is about 40 feet, which provides one lane apiece for drivers traveling east and west, with a 5-foot sidewalk on both sides of the bridge.

“It’s nerve-racking,” Haight explained to the dozens of citizens who showed up to Tuesday’s meeting. “It’s too narrow; it puts you too close (to the road). It’s not good for bike passage.”

The department says revamping the bridge will enhance safety, creating smoother pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. The city estimates roughly 11,000 cars pass over the bridge per day as well as the hundreds of thousands who walk or bike along the bridge and trail.

As design plans are still being developed, officials are wrestling with what the width of the road through the arterial should be. Options include a three-lane or five-lane configuration. Either scenario creates additional room for biking and walking.

While the immediate topic at hand revolves around shoring up the bridge, residents are grappling with the potential of even further developments. Plans are afoot to widen 820 North to five lanes with a new Interstate 15 interchange, which is prompting concerns of significant impacts to people’s homes and quality of life.

Residents who live along 820 North and around the area don’t disagree that the bridge has become a safety concern, but fixing it shouldn’t come at the cost of the community, they say.

“I’m in favor of replacing the bridge. I believe wholeheartedly that it needs to be done,” said Kat Linford. “But I don’t agree with a five-lane proposal. I think it just brings in more traffic and it destroys our neighborhoods. Three lanes — great, let’s do it. But five is too much.”

During the meeting, Linford raised concerns about how a five-lane road could encourage more traffic through their residential neighborhood and how the city would regulate traffic speeds. “You go to a five-lane road, what is that new speed limit? And then how fast are people gonna go on top of that posted speed limit?” she asked.

According to Haight, a full-road widening on 820 North may not happen for at least another 15-20 years, if at all. He says the project likely would be handled through the Utah Department of Transportation due to the hefty funding a project of that stature would require.

“I empathize with residents. That is something that is devastating to neighborhoods. … So we’re looking at ways to mitigate it, keep neighborhoods connected,” Haight said.

In regard to fixing the bridge, the city anticipates the following adjustments, according to the project’s website:

• A safe, comfortable facility that will serve the community for the next 75 years.
• A wider, upgraded trail crossing with more space for people biking and walking.
• Wider sidewalks that allow safer access for people walking and using strollers and wheelchairs.

Haight says a final decision on a configuration could be made sometime in late June. Construction is anticipated to start in the spring of 2025 and would last for seven to eight months.

Residents are encouraged to attend an open house June 6 at the Provo Recreation Center for a further discussion. “We think that’s important not just to hear ourselves. But here everybody and the mayor (Michelle Kaufusi) is very conscientious that we don’t ignore the residents’ concerns, and so that that has been critical to her that we do this,” Haight said.

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