AASHTO Journal - Utah DOT Celebrates State’s Largest Pedestrian Bridge

The Utah Department of Transportation held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 14 to celebrate a soon-to-be-opened pedestrian bridge connecting the Utah Valley University with the Utah Transit Authority’s Front Runner Orem Central Station – the largest such bridge in the state.

[Above photo by the Utah DOT.]

The Utah DOT added that its work crews will be putting the finishing touches on the bridge over the next few weeks, with the bridge fully opening sometime in early February.

The $30.7 million pedestrian bridge – built above Interstate 15 through a partnership between Utah DOT, UVU, UTA, and Orem City, with funds provided by the Utah state legislature – is 1,000 feet long and 15 feet wide, spanning more than three football fields.

More importantly, it provides a safer and more secure active transportation connection to transit services for more than 5,000 users per day, explained Teri Newell, Utah DOT’s deputy director.

“It’s not often you see a bridge of this size built just for pedestrians and bicyclists,” she said in a statement. “At Utah DOT our goal is to provide diverse choices for how and when you travel. This kind of investment in active transportation is another example of how Utah DOT is focused on keeping people moving.”

The agency added that the bridge contains 15,000 square feet of heated concrete to melt snow and ice in the winter, along with a full-coverage roof to provide shelter from the elements. The bridge walkway is also lined with 125 lights and 18 security cameras, providing students a safe and secure walking environment.

“This bridge is a one-of-a-kind triumph,” explained Val Peterson, UVU vice president of finance and administration, in a statement. “Its construction began with a question – how we can safely connect pedestrians on one side of our campus with the other – and the larger question of how to more easily connect the community with UVU. I believe we have done just that.”

“The UTA is always striving to connect communities, and this pedestrian bridge will help connect over 40,000 UVU students to the Orem Front Runner station,” added UTA Board Chairman Carlton Christensen. “We are proud to be a part of this project and the way it connects the community.”