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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City officials on Wednesday gave a public overview of plans to reconstruct and reimagine 300 West between 900 and 2100 South, with an eye toward greater safety and accessibility on the heavily trafficked corridor.
In a virtual presentation hosted by the project communications manager Stacee Adams, transportation planner Will Becker, and transportation engagement manager Adan Carrillo, officials said the reconstruction will include added bike lanes, wider sidewalks, repaved roads and more.
Carrillo said the project will be a "huge" and "historic" undertaking, while Becker said the area is designed to address some of the roadway's biggest current challenges: utility poles obstructing sidewalks, dangerous driveways, extensive road damage and large sections of missing sidewalk among them. The lack of bike lanes on the route also makes it dangerous for commuters on scooters and bicycles, Becker said.
When the city asked the public for feedback, it most often heard that residents wanted better sidewalks, added bike lanes and greater accessibility for people with disabilities along the route, Carrillo said.
The redesign will narrow the vehicle traffic lanes by about 25 feet to a total width of 56 feet; however, there will still be two lanes of traffic in each direction and a center turn lane. A two-way bike lane will be offset from the road by a "park strip" of green space, where the city will plant over 200 trees and other foliage to "beautify" the corridor.
On both sides of the street, the sidewalks will be 6 feet wide and extend the length of the construction route, filling in about 1,700 feet of currently missing sidewalks. The city will also install two mid-block crossings at American and Andrew avenues.
"The purpose of this project really is to rebuild 300 West," Becker said. "But the project is focused on more than just replacing underground utilities and rebuilding and repaving the deteriorated streets on the surface. The goal is also to bring the street into the modern era and transform it into an accessible and inviting street for people of all ages and abilities."
Contractors will soon have the opportunity to bid on the contract for the reconstruction, at which point the actual road work can begin and final details, like where the construction will start, will be ironed out. The reconstruction is slated to run through 2023 and will be financed primarily though the 2018 voter-approved Funding Our Future bond, officials said.
Residents with questions about the project can find more information at 300WestSLC.com or by contacting 300West@SLCgov.com or 385-360-1313.
