SLC pushes road repairs — including on 1300 East and 300 North — extends bike lanes and plugs potholes as bond money runs out

All manner of seasonal street, trail and bike lane construction is busting out around Salt Lake City this spring, paid for by what’s left from an $87 million bond for transportation upgrades before it runs out.

Among other milestones, this final burst of voter-approved Funding Our Future street projects will wrap up an extensive overhaul in recent years on 2100 South, with a focus this summer on the stretch from 700 East to 1300 East through the heart of Sugar House.

“We’ve made a lot of progress,” City Engineer Mark Stephens said in announcing this season’s work. ”We’re happy to let Salt Lake City travelers know that major impacts are winding down.”

Crews have already plunged into the construction onslaught with weeklong repairs to hundreds of the winter-related potholes — known as “Pothole Palooza” — that most irritate residents.

The bigger summer list includes other work in that same Sugar House vicinity of 2100 South, along 1300 East south of 2100 South to Elgin Avenue, or around 3010 South. There is also reconstruction ahead for a segment of 100 South between University Street and North Campus Drive.

Across town, there are major overhauls coming to the west-side stretch of 300 North from 300 West and 1000 West. Also kicking off will be construction on 600 North and 700 North between Redwood Road and 800 West to replace pavement, add bike lanes, crosswalks and trees, and improve sidewalks.

In conjunction with that uplift, the city and the Utah Department of Transportation are readying to rebuild a Jordan River bridge at 650 North over the next eight months.

UDOT and city crews are partnering as well on a new multiuse 400 South viaduct trail on the south side of 400 South between 200 West and 900 West, aimed at providing safer and improved east-west connections through the city via sidewalks and bike lanes.

In another linked project, the city will be going ahead with a protected bikeway on 300 West between 300 South and 900 South, tying that street’s paths and those along the 9 Line with the new viaduct trail on 400 South.

And as part of regular maintenance, more than a dozen streets around the city will see paving improvements at locations in all seven City Council districts.

Stephens, the city engineer, said the season’s work underscored the city’s focus on creating safer and more accessible streets, “prioritizing the needs of all residents.”

Voters approved the Funding Our Future bond in 2018 for road repairs and improvements as part of a wider plan that also included an ongoing 0.5% sales tax hike to address urgent needs in Utah’s capital, including affordable housing, transit and public safety.

Stephens said the bond has brought upgrades to 65 major arterials and neighborhood streets in the past five years, including nearly 20% of paving across the city deemed to be in “poor to failed” conditions.

“While replacing aged infrastructure and degraded pavement,” he said in a statement, “Salt Lake City has also added safety improvements and features that make it easier for people to get around without a car.”

Along with better streets, Stephens noted, the bond-funded work has added nearly 20 miles of improved bicycle and walking paths and dozens of new or upgraded pedestrian crossings, as well as better drainage and underground utilities such as water and sewer lines.