Redundant Road Costs Billions

Proposal and savings
Deny funding for this 120-mile highway that has an estimated total cost of at least $2.76 billion for construction alone. At least half of this would be federally funded, however the exact percentage is unknown at this time.

Background
Legacy West Davis Highway, proposed by Governor Mike Leavitt, would be a 120-mile highway from Brigham City to Nephi, up the west side of Utah Lake, around the Great Salt Lake and finally connecting to I-15 at Brigham City. This route is the farthest west of the several alternatives presented for this area. Its purpose is to accommodate what the state has projected to be a doubling in traffic over the next twenty years.

Status
Utah’s Department of Transportation (UDOT) released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in October 1998. The Army Corps of Engineers is planning its own public comment period and hearing for the controversial wetlands permit. If UDOT secures either a wetlands permit or approval of its DEIS, opponents of the project may file a lawsuit against UDOT.

Problems with the Project
Taxpayer Concerns Building the Legacy Highway is a duplicative use of taxpayer money as it would parallel I-15, which is being expanded from six to twelve lanes as a part of infrastructure preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

Local Community Concerns
An alliance of farmers and environmentalists opposed to the project say it would cause urban sprawl and damage surrounding farmlands. Legacy Highway would cut through five counties, dividing much of Utah’s last 1.2 million acres of productive farmland. Many residents fear that the project would facilitate developing low-density subdivisions on the few remaining farms in these counties.

New roads tend to fill to congestion level, propelling a vicious cycle of highway construction. Therefore, mass transit options such as commuter rail, light rail, high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, and express buses may be more viable and cost-effective alternatives.

Environmental Concerns
The highway would cut through wetlands internationally noted for their biological importance as a habitat and breeding site for three million ducks, 500 wintering American Bald Eagles, and 11 pairs of mating endangered Peregrine Falcons. As a Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network Site, millions of shorebirds also depend on these wetlands.

Utah, due to its surrounding mountain ranges, already has near-dangerous air quality levels. A highway in such close proximity to the mountains would exacerbate the region’s air quality problems, according to Sierra Club.

Contacts
Marc Heileson, Sierra Club-Southwest Region, (801) 467-9294, marc.heileson@sierraclub.org