UDOT to Build and Plan Nearly 60 miles of Paved Trails as part of the Utah Trail Network

$95 million inaugural round of funding will connect Utahns to key destinations, transit, parks and other trail systems

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (May 16, 2024) — Today the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) announced the inaugural round of funding for the Utah Trail Network. 

The Utah Transportation Commission approved nearly $95 million in funding to build and plan 19 new paved trails or complete existing trail gaps across the state. The vision of the Utah Trail Network is to create a regional paved trail network to connect Utahns of all ages and abilities to their destinations and communities. 

“Generations from now people will look back at this moment and realize how pivotal the Utah Trail Network was in changing the way we travel,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said. “These projects will connect communities in ways that provide transportation choices for everyone to commute, recreate and enjoy.”

UDOT worked closely with communities and planning partners across the state in selecting this inaugural project list. Of the projects selected for this inaugural round of funding, 13 are considered construction ready and could get underway as soon as 2025, depending on contractor schedules, supply availability and other factors like weather. 

• Bingham Creek Trail, Salt Lake County ($14 million): a new 6.3-mile trail to connect the Jordan River Parkway Trail to Bingham Creek Regional Park in Daybreak and the Mountain View Corridor trail. It will connect to multiple TRAX stations, parks, and neighborhoods over the length of the project.

  

• Colorado River Trail Gap, Grand County ($12.5 million): a new section of trail to fill a 0.7-mile gap on the Colorado River Trail along SR-128 in Moab. The complete trail will connect to numerous hiking trails, mountain biking trails, campgrounds, and river access points along this corridor.  

• 3900/4100 South Shared Use Path, Salt Lake County ($10 million): a new east-west trail along 3900/4100 South for people to cross the Salt Lake Valley to the Jordan River Parkway Trail. The trail will take advantage of available space and avoids freeway interchanges. This funding will build 1.4 miles of trail from West Temple to Jordan River Parkway. 

• Moab Canyon Pathway, Grand County ($8.8 million): a new 3-mile trail extension to connect Moab Canyon Pathway with the future Raptor State Park Visitors Center. The trail will parallel US-191 and tie into the existing trail system that continues south into Moab.

  

• SR-108 2050 North Trail Separated Crossing, Davis County ($8.7 million): a new separated crossing to allow people on 2050 North to safely cross SR-108. The underpass will complete the city-wide 2050 North trail, which currently has a gap at 2000 West, and connect the 1800 North Trail and Denver & Rio Grande Trail to the east.  

• Vineyard Connector/800 North Trail, Utah County ($5 million): a new 2.1-mile trail  from I-15 to the Utah Lakeshore Trail in downtown Vineyard. The trail will parallel Vineyard Connector Road (SR-176), as well as a portion of 800 North (SR-52) and provide a critical east-west connection for residents and commuters and integrate with Vineyard’s downtown. 

• Welby Jacobs Canal Trail North – Riverton, Salt Lake County ($7 million): a new 1.5-mile shared use path from 12600 South to 13800 South in Riverton along the Welby Jacobs Canal. The trail is expected to cross over 13400 South using a separated crossing.

• Jordan River Parkway Trail Connection at 1300 West in Bluffdale, Salt Lake County ($600,000): a new 0.5-mile trail along 1300 West in Bluffdale from a future separated trail crossing over Union Pacific Railroad and UTA Frontrunner tracks to a nearby segment of the Jordan River Parkway Trail to the north.

  

• Steinaker Service Canal Trail, Uintah County ($4.5 million): a new 1.9-mile trail from 500 North (SR-121) to US-40 in Vernal. The path will follow a portion of the Steinaker Service Canal, as well as a segment of 500 North, and connect to a local school, senior citizens center, and office plaza.

• Heber Valley Railroad Rail Trail, Wasatch County ($8 million): 1.8 miles of paved trail from the Train Depot in Heber City to 1200 South, and from SR-113 to the Deer Creek Trail at Soldier Hollow. The proposed trail will follow alongside the existing alignment of the Heber Valley Railroad Line, and will include the first two phases of the full corridor extent. 

• US-89 Trail: Mt. Carmel Junction to Orderville, Kane County ($7 million): a 5-mile separated trail from downtown Orderville to Mt. Carmel Junction in Kane County. This trail is one segment of a future network that will connect residents and visitors to local destinations along the US-89 corridor. The Long Valley Transportation plan identifies this path as a critical segment for commuters from Zion to Bryce Canyon.

• Bear Lake Trail, Rich County ($3 million): a 0.8-mile trail that begins where the existing trail ends at the Bear Lake Marina and ends just south of Broad Hollow Road. The path will parallel Bear Lake Boulevard/US-89 to the west and connect to the many amenities on the west side of the lake.

• Blacksmith Fork River Trail, Cache County ($4 million): a 1.8-mile trail connecting people from Ridgeline High School to the Blackhawk Soccer Complex in Cache Valley. The trail will follow the Blacksmith Fork River and will connect to the existing Logan River Walk trail.

Five additional trail projects were funded for feasibility study work:

• Hill Air Force Base Gate Trail, Weber County ($300,000): a feasibility study for an 8-mile trail from Clearfield into downtown Ogden along Hill Air Force Base. 

• SR-130 Trail, Iron County ($300,000): a feasibility study for a 6.6-mile trail from Enoch to Cedar City in Iron County.

• Carbonville Road Trail, Carbon County ($300,000): a feasibility study for the development of a 6.4-mile trail from downtown Helper to Price. The study will consider a number of potential alignments including US-6/US-191, the railroad corridor, and the Price River. 

• Phoston Spur Trail and Rail Trail SR-248 Overcrossing and Paving, Wasatch/Summit counties ($600,000): a feasibility study of the Rail Trail and the Phoston Spur Trail. The study will evaluate a separated crossing of SR-248 and paving of the Rail Trail from Promontory Ranch Road to SR-248. It will also study the alignment and paving of the Phoston Spur Trail to the south.  

• Deer Creek Reservoir Trail, Wasatch County ($300,000): a feasibility study for a potential 6.7-mile trail that would begin at Soldier Hollow and connect to the Provo River Parkway Trail. 

In 2022, Governor Spencer Cox championed a vision for a statewide trail network that would connect Utahns of all ages and abilities to their destinations and communities throughout the state. Then in 2023, the Utah Legislature created a fund specifically for active transportation (the Active Transportation Investment Fund), demonstrating the state’s commitment to providing transportation access for all. 

“We have heard the public asking for more trails and are inspired by the trail planning and development efforts across the state,” Braceras said. “These efforts are bringing people together, and we want to do our part by connecting communities through a state funded program that will build trails as part of the state’s transportation system.”