Saratoga Springs » Leon Harward has heard talk about bridging Utah Lake since attending BYU in the 1950s.

The Cedar Hills developer insists he has more than a concept, and isn't talking so much as preparing for construction.

"Most people come up with ideas," said Harward, a developer and the president of Utah Crossing Inc., "and when all is said and done, more is said than is done."

Utah Crossing has applied to the state for a lease to build a $600 million, six-mile toll bridge from near Pelican Point to the former Geneva Steel site and then connecting with 800 North in Orem.

Harward's goal?

To create a true east-west corridor in Utah County.

The state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, which oversees Utah Lake, is reviewing the request. No timetable for the state's decision is set, but if approved, construction could begin as soon as next year.

While Harward considers the bridge a no-brainer, it's proving to be a hard sell in Utah County.

At recent state-sponsored public hearings in Provo and Saratoga Springs, most of the meetings' nearly 130 attendees opposed the bridge.

At the division's Web site, comments from the bridge's critics outnumber those from supporters nearly two to one.

"I knew it was a bad idea, and from everything I have heard it keeps getting worse," said Tim Schreiber, a Saratoga Springs resident who created the Web site fightthebridge.org.

And the departing mayor of Saratoga Springs has personal reservations about the project.

"The bridge has not proven to be at the right time or at the right place," said Timothy Parker, who added Harward had told him he owns property near where the bridge would connect with Saratoga Springs.

Incoming Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love considers the bridge beyond her control and looks to accommodate the structure and its accompanying traffic through planning.

Harward said he plans to own land in Saratoga Springs near where the bridge would be built, but wouldn't comment further.

The bridge's chief backer is convinced it will be built, and that most people support it -- even if they have to pay a tentatively planned $3 fee to cross. The fee would be collected every time a motorist gets on the bridge.

"We're not going to please everybody, but people will pay to use the bridge," Harward said. "They just need to drive across it once."

While Harward's plan has been public since this summer, he says it has been in the works for more than four years. With the county continuing to grow -- especially on the lake's west side -- the time is right for a bridge.

In its final stage, the bridge will have three lanes going each way on two separate bridge structures. The bridge will rest on piers in the lake, with most of the structure sitting about 35 feet above Utah Lake's agreed-upon maximum level.

Tolls will be used for bridge maintenance and to pay off Utah Crossing's investors.

Harward said the bridge will save drivers time and money by providing a more direct route to the west side.

However, Marc Heileson, regional director of the Utah Sierra Club, disputes that.

Heileson said his calculations show it's nearly two miles farther to go from Eagle Mountain's The Ranches subdivision to Orem by the proposed bridge route than to take the planned Pioneer Crossing, which is a roadway that would run from American Fork to Saratoga Springs.

Harward said Heileson's figures could show greater mileage, but said it would actually take less time.

Pioneer Crossing, he said, will have stoplights slowing down traffic, while the bridge will be a straight shot at 65-70 mph across the lake, making the transit six minutes or less.

Heileson also cited a 2006 Denver Post article claiming 75 percent of new toll roads did not meet projections after three years.

Harward insisted Utahns already pay to use roads -- they just don't know it.

The cost of roads are included in the sales prices of new homes and in property and gasoline taxes, Harward said. A toll is just a more direct way to get people using a bridge to actually pay for it.

The toll idea, Harward said, allows him to move faster than the government, which would have to wait to find tax dollars to move ahead.

And Utahns have already proved they will pay a toll if it means a more convenient ride, Harward said, citing Interstate 15's high-occupancy vehicle lane.

Critics, including the Sierra Club and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, worry the bridge will harm the lake's ecology -- especially the June sucker, which is an endangered species -- with runoff from the bridge into the water.

Harward said he has looked into that, and has considered filtration systems. He added Utah Lake is already exposed to runoff from streets in neighboring cities that eventually finds its way into the water.

Heileson said no runoff goes directly into the lake, and there are opportunities for the water to be cleaned before it reaches the lake.

Parker, the Saratoga Springs mayor, said his personal concern is that the bridge is solely a private enterprise rather than a public-private partnership.

"If you look at virtually any toll road project, the toll roads were built at the request of the government, essentially in response to a transit-planning priority," Parker said.

Darrell Cook, Mountainland Association of Governments' executive director, said the time might not be right for a bridge. While MAG's long-range plans contemplate a bridge, the west side's population is insufficient to support it.

Cook said a bridge could affect Utah County's ability to comply with air-quality standards. If there is too much air pollution generated by bridge traffic, Cook said, it could endanger funding for other transportation improvements.

Harward said the bridge would actually improve air quality by giving people a route with less stop-and-go traffic than Lehi Main Street or Pioneer Crossing.

Cook said a bridge could happen in more than 30 years, but not right now. He added that Mountain View Corridor, Pioneer Crossing and 2100 North -- which are all within a few years of completion -- can handle the current load.

"We're not convinced that the [current] population mass in the region will create the demand for the bridge."

dmeyers@sltrib.com