UDOT and Bluffdale to open Porter Rockwell Boulevard Bridge
August 25, 2022
The new Porter Rockwell bridge is now complete and will open to traffic August 26, in time for the evening commute. With the bridge in place, Porter Rockwell Boulevard now connects Mountain View Corridor to I-15, and congestion on I-15, Redwood Road, and Bangerter Highway is expected to decrease.
The completed Porter Rockwell Boulevard provides new transportation options for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as drivers. Beneath the new bridge, pedestrians and bicyclists can safely access the Jordan River Parkway Trail from Porter Rockwell Blvd. The new road features a 10-foot path along the north side, which will provide the first east-west connection for pedestrians and bicyclists south of 12300 South.
“With this project, we’ve built a new connection in our transportation system that can be used by anyone – whether they’re walking, riding a bike, or in a car,” UDOT Executive Director Carlos Braceras said. “This will help people in southern Salt Lake or northern Utah County travel where they want, when they want, and how they want.”
The new Porter Rockwell bridge is 435 feet in length and 65 feet high, making it one of the longest and tallest bridges of its kind in Utah. It spans the Jordan River and the UTA and Union Pacific railroad tracks.
“The city of Bluffdale’s motto is ‘Life Connected’ and that is what this bridge will do for us,” Bluffdale Mayor Natalie Hall said. “It will finally connect our east and west side. It will connect businesses. It will connect neighbors and students going to school. This bridge is historical for our city and will bring great economic opportunity as well.”
Porter Rockwell Boulevard was constructed in phases over the past decade to meet the transportation demands of Salt Lake and Utah counties, two of the most rapidly growing counties in the country. The Porter Rockwell bridge is the final phase of this effort by UDOT and Bluffdale to construct a new east-west route to connect I-15, Mountain View Corridor and Redwood Road at the far southern end of Salt Lake County.