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The Utah Transportation Commission on Thursday unveiled the criteria it will use to determine whether to endorse allowing a proposed toll bridge across Utah Lake between Orem and Saratoga Springs.
A private group, Utah Crossing, has proposed a $600 million toll bridge across the lake. Newly enacted HB137 by Rep. Ken Sumsion, R-American Fork, gives the commission and the Utah Department of Transportation oversight of issues related to financial viability, design and construction of bridges over lakes.
But the final decision about whether to allow a lease for a private bridge rests with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, which also oversees environmental issues for the project.
The proposed rule would require the commission, in part, to thoroughly evaluate "the financial viability of the project to ensure the project can be constructed and completed as proposed" and ensure the "long-term viability and operability of the project."
To do that, the rule requires developers to provide a list of investors and consultants; a description of their legal structure; budgets; finance plans; and plans for operation.
The rule also requires the commission "to ensure that the facility is safe and meets current engineering standards for design, construction, operation and maintenance."
Utah Crossing's Leon Harward told the commission Thursday that his company "has been in a long-struggling effort to get the proper authority and agency to review this," and supported the proposed rule.
As soon as the rule is formally published, the public will have 30 days to comment on it.