UTA Opens New Pedestrian Bridge at Provo Central Station

At Provo Central Station, the 145-foot overhead bridge runs over two Union Pacific lines and two FrontRunner tracks.

Courtesy of UTA

PROVO, Utah – At Provo Central Station, the 145-foot overhead bridge runs over two Union Pacific lines and two FrontRunner tracks.

ABC4News reported the Utah Transit Authority opened its new pedestrian bridge on November 14^th. At Provo Central Station, the 145-foot overhead bridge runs over two Union Pacific lines and two FrontRunner tracks. Offering a safer alternative for pedestrians and subsequently improving air quality, the UTA hopes “to encourage commuters from using single-occupant vehicles.” Provo Central Station is reportedly often congested with freight train traffic, and it’s difficult for passengers to enter the station. Michelle Kaufusi, Mayor of Provo, said the bridge “is a testament to government problem-solving” and that it is a shared symbol of their “commitment to building a city that prioritizes the well-being of its residents.”

The pre-fabricated Box Truss bridge was trucked in three sections and assembled onsite in Provo. According to the UTA, both bridge towers “are supported on a series of 12-inch-diameter pipes driven 130 feet into the ground, then filled with steel rebar and concrete.” On either side of the bridge are standard elevators and a set of stairs with a “bike runnel.” These allow bikes to be moved up and down without having to use the elevators. For the winter months, both the deck and stairs have a “snow-melt system.”

At a cost of $7 million and constructed by Granite Construction, Executive Director of the UTA, Jay Fox, commended the joint efforts of “Provo City, the Mountainland Association of Governments, UDOT, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Federal Transit Administration” and celebrated “this new bridge which connects transit customers, pedestrians, cyclists, families, and visitors to the beauty of nature and attractions this city offers. Generational infrastructure investments like this sustain our region’s healthy growth and quality of life.”