The aroma of asphalt and harmony of heavy machinery is in the air. And this year, construction season in the Salt Lake Valley means a critical artery of downtown Salt Lake City’s TRAX light rail system is closed.
The TRAX Red Line’s downtown corridor is now closed between the Courthouse station and University Medical Center station until Aug. 17 for maintenance improvements.
Construction is expected to take a few months. Riders will have to transfer to bus routes 1, 2 and 4 at Gallivan Plaza until it’s done, according to a Utah Transit Authority news release.
The agency recommended that frequent Red Line passengers download the Transit app to find the best detour options during the construction period.
(Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)
The maintenance work will involve upgrades to the rail line’s safety mechanisms, specifically along the S-curve that swings from 500 South to 400 South, according to UTA.
“We’ve got to do it sometime, and the summer is the best time to do it, with winter being difficult to do a lot of this work,” UTA spokesperson Gavin Gustafson said. “We recognize it’s an inconvenience, but better to do the maintenance than have things go wrong.“
Service along that section will briefly resume between July 3-5 for events at the University of Utah and Rice-Eccles Stadium, according to the release.
Later this summer, UTA construction crews will also work to improve the Red and Blue lines’ 5900 South “grade crossing” in Murray. Grade crossings (where a TRAX rail line intersects a roadway) can get damaged more easily, because cars also cross the rails, Gustafson said.
“Then it gets rough for the cars,” Gustafson said. “So it’s kind of a two way street — pardon the pun — where you need to make it better for vehicles to get across."
That maintenance is scheduled for Aug. 22-24; riders will need to use a bus bridge to get between the Murray North and Fashion Place West stations before continuing on a train.
Similar maintenance is also expected along 9000 South from Sept. 10-18. TRAX Blue Line riders will need a bus bridge between the Midvale Center and Sandy Civic Center stations during that time.
In early October, more UTA work along Fireclay Avenue and Central Avenue will affect both Red and Blue line riders.
Riders seeking more information on UTA’s planned construction can sign up for service alerts via text or email through the UTA website.
