- A project to extend the S-Line in Sugar House is set to begin in May.
- Completion of the project expected by next summer, with new service beginning in August 2027.
- The $43.6 million project includes new traffic signals and land redevelopment.
SALT LAKE CITY — Construction to expand Utah Transit Authority's streetcar service is set to begin this spring, after Utah's capital city reached an agreement allowing for the project to move forward.
Members of the Salt Lake City Community Reinvestment Agency board of directors, who are all members of the City Council, signed off on an interlocal agreement with UTA on Tuesday. It marks one of the last formalities before ground breaks in May, according to city officials.
"This extension may seem short, but its impact is huge and part of a long-term effort making it easier to choose transit, reduce traffic and support local businesses at the heart of Sugar House," said Salt Lake City Councilwoman Sarah Young, whose district covers Sugar House, in a statement after voting to support the agreement. "This project reflects years of community vision, and I'm excited to see it come to life."
UTA and Salt Lake City have eyed an expansion of the S-Line for years, but the expansion grew from when the Utah Legislature first allocated money to it in 2021.
The line is now set to expand from its eastern terminus at Fairmont Station, 2216 S. McClelland Street, to the western end of the Sugar House Shopping Center. That will add approximately a quarter-mile of line, helping extend it past Highland Drive via 1100 East and Simpson Drive. Its new terminus would be located south of the Cinemark, located at 2227 S. Highland Drive.
"It's really good spacing for a streetcar," said Lynn Jacobs, a transportation engineer for the city.
It took a few years to determine the final extension terminus, which delayed the project timeline and raised its final cost. Utah lawmakers first allocated $12 million toward it, and the project received $18.9 million from a transit transportation investment fund allocation last year.
Over $12 million in local matches account for the rest, but only a little more than $1.2 million comes from city or Reinvestment Agency funds. A chunk of that comes from the city donating $5.1 million worth of property for the project, while UTA also supplied over $6.2 million in funding from various sources.
The interlocal agreement doesn't add any new money to the nearly $43.6 million project. It only allows UTA to operate on the street and outlines maintenance responsibilities shared between the two entities, Jacobs explained.
The project also calls for the redevelopment of Reinvestment Agency land located between Simpson Avenue and the Parleys Trails at Highland Drive, as well as new traffic signals along the S-Line at McLelland Street, 1100 East and Highland Drive. Those will likely solve some of the pedestrian concerns at some of those crossings, Jacobs said.
Construction is expected to last about 13 months, until the summer of 2027. The next service is on track to be available in August 2027, following UTA service tests.
Salt Lake City Council members said they're excited for the expansion but also urged city transportation officials to keep residents and business owners informed about any potential road closures as they arise. That comes after the years of construction along 2100 South and 1100 East/Highland Drive sparked tension between the businesses and the city, before the last of the projects ended last year.
