Logan city receives $4.1 million to build underpass on south main street

On Sept. 2, Logan City Mayor Holly Daines, announced the plan to have a bike/pedestrian underpass built under South Main St.

This project has been on the back burner for over three years, but with a recent $4.1 million awarded to Logan from the Utah Department of Transportation, Daines said she is excited to see the underpass finally in progress.

The construction for the project won’t begin until the fall of 2022, starting with the building of a bridge that will connect both sides of the river. Daines is glad to finally see this long-term goal of hers put into action.

The underpass will connect those trails on the east and west sides of Main St., making 600 S. a cul-de-sac and providing a faster route for pedestrians.

The new trail will connect to 200 E. and will lead you to bike lanes that will eventually take you to Merlin Olsen Park. Ultimately, this underpass will connect trails from the canyon all the way to Trapper Park.

Kamilla Shultz, the civil engineer on the project, explained the underpass will serve as a safer and more convenient way for bikers and pedestrians to cross Main St. at 600 S.

Currently, there are no pedestrian crossings near the trail and as a result, pedestrians must go out of their way to connect from the trail on the east side to the trail on the west side of Main St.

“There is no good way for pedestrians and cyclists to safely and quickly cross Main between 300 S. and about 800 S.,” Daines said. “This will remedy that situation.”

Daines explained this project will strengthen the trial system and eliminate barriers while travelling.

The mayor further explained UDOT has been helpful through the process of getting the project put together and ultimately getting it off its feet.

“This crossing not only will help recreationally, but it will also help with transportation and pedestrian traffic, and people who are living on the island,” Schultz said.

Other grants were also given by major contributors for this project including Dell Loy Hansen of Wasatch Development, who donated $160,250 in trial improvements and property 

Craig Adams of Gateway Development also donated $200,000 of adjacent trail improvements. These development companies run along the highway and are both a short distance away from the future underpass. The construction of the underpass will prove to be a great investment for the companies, Schultz explained, by making it easier and safer for customers to cross Main St. Daines also said the underpass will be a lasting benefit for all those involved.

“The traffic roadway work would be as short of duration as we can make it, I know that was a worry for everyone and we are well aware of it,” Shultz said, “and we will do everything in our power to minimize those impacts as much as feasibly possible.”

The underpass will be 10 feet wide, 10 feet high and 100 feet long. Overall, the construction of the underpass will take a few months to complete, while the construction of the road is estimated to take a week.

Schultz said they will use prefabricated tunnel sections, meaning the concrete structure will be built in a factory then shipped to the construction site. This will make the construction process go by quicker.

Avery Cronyn, the manager at Aggie Blue Bikes, agreed the underpass will be beneficial for all bikers passing through that area.

“That would be pretty much the only non-motorized way to cross Main, which is pretty nice,” Cronyn said.

As for the construction time on the road, Schultz expects most of the construction to either be done at night or lanes being shifted to keep two-way traffic and only one lane being worked on at a time. However, it will ultimately be up to UDOT.

-Brielle.Carr@usu.edu