SALT LAKE CITY - After years of construction and legal hurdles, the Legacy Parkway -- which connects Ogden to Salt Lake City -- is set to open this weekend.
The
Legacy Parkway, which cost nearly $700 million to build, took nearly a decade to complete because of various problems.
Environmentalists opposed the highway because of its proposed route through some wetlands near the Great Salt Lake. Also, some residents and lawmakers filed lawsuits to prevent the highway's construction.
But the problems were eventually solved, and construction moved forward. Now it is scheduled to open on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 5:00 p.m.
The Legacy Parkway will offer an alternative to drivers who currently rely on I-15 to get them from northern Utah to Salt Lake City. During rush hours, I-15 north of Salt Lake City contains some of the most congested areas in the state.
It still remains to be seen, however, how many drivers will choose to use the Legacy Parkway as opposed to I-15. Officials expect that the new highway will reduce traffic on I-15 by about 30 percent.
Residents who live along the Legacy route may also become annoyed by the sound of passing traffic. But construction workers have taken every step possible to shut out the noise by placing sound barriers along a good portion of the highway.
MORE:Website:
The Legacy Parkway (official site)
