Transit
Utah Agency Picks Preferred Route for $400M Salt Lake City Light Rail Expansion
The proposed TRAX Orange Line would share part of the Red Line's existing alignment, making the proposed route the lowest-cost option considered in the study.
Photo courtesy Utah Transit Authority
The Utah Transit Authority recently selected a preferred alternative for its plan to build a fourth line for its Salt Lake Valley TRAX light rail system. UTA estimates it will cost $400 million to build.
The proposed Orange Line would run between Salt Lake City International Airport and the University of Utah’s Research Park, adding service capacity, eight new stations and 2.8 miles of track to the system.
UTA selected this route at the conclusion of its TechLink TRAX Study, which looked at several options including one that would have required construction of an elevated track section. Officials found the preferred route would have the lowest capital costs, and its estimated $17-million increase in annual operations and maintenance costs is also the lowest of the considered options. It would also reduce travel time compared to other routes and have reduced environmental impacts by sharing some stretches of track with other TRAX lines.
The favored route would include 2.8 miles of new track. Map courtesy Utah Transit AuthorityThe proposed route would follow existing tracks near the airport, as well as the existing Red Line alignment on the street 400 South. But the Orange Line would take a new route through parts of downtown Salt Lake City to serve three new stations, and split off from the Red Line at its eastern end to serve two new stations and end at Research Park.
As part of the project, UTA would also extend the Red Line further west on part of the new alignment planned for the Orange Line. It would then split off south, serving another three new stations before meeting the Green and Blue lines at Ballpark Station.
TRAX served more than 13.5 million riders last year, according to UTA. It marked a 26.5% increase from 2023.
With the study complete, UTA plans to next begin the environmental review, which it expects to last up to two years. The agency anticipates breaking ground in 2029 for service to start by 2032.
UTA typically funds capital projects with state and federal money, and a spokesperson for the agency says they will explore all available funding avenues.
