From the Salt Lake Tribune:
Construction is under way on a tunnel that will connect Sugar House Park and the shopping area west of 1300 East near 2100 South in Salt Lake City on Thursday, June 23, 2011. The Draw at Sugar House Park is a passageway from Sugar House Park to Hidden Hollow and is part of the Parley's Trail system.
On a narrow strip of asphalt, sandwiched between a five-story building and another construction site, crews broke ground Thursday on a long-awaited project: a tunnel under 1300 East.
The underground connection is one more piece to the Parleys Trail puzzle — one that will link Hidden Hollow to Sugar House Park, and one that moves bikers and hikers ever closer to a continuous corridor from the Bonneville Shoreline Trail to Jordan River Parkway.
“It was an impossible task, what we imagined previously,” Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon said as he addressed the small group marking the start of construction. “It took a lot of people to get this done.”
The Sugar House section of Parleys Trail, dubbed “the Draw,” is seen as the keystone to completing the project. The Draw will be modeled after a sego lily that leads into the tunnel and become a functional, yet artistic centerpiece in the heart of Sugar House.
The Parleys Rails, Trails and Tunnels Coalition hopes the aesthetic flair will draw more community support for the trail.
“I imagine people in the artist community will come see this place,” said PRATT Coalition Chairman Juan Arce-Larreta.
Though the Sugar House location may look unassuming at first glance, Arce-Larreta said he wanted to make today’s construction zone tomorrow’s must-see attraction.
The $4.2 million project, designed by Patricia Johanson, a New York-based artist, features organic lines and shapes that mimic Utah’s natural setting. A 30-foot-tall sego lily, Utah’s state flower, will open into the tunnel, where imitation canyon walls, complete with jutting rock formations and layers of rock minerals, will greet visitors.
“This is the jewel of the whole trail,” said Walt Gilmore, the project manager for Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. “Her design was so unique, so perfect for what we’re doing here.”
The Sugar House portion of Parleys Trail is expected to be finished by summer’s end.
Still, getting the Parleys project to where it is today has been an uphill battle — whether the obstacle was funding, permission from the city, a park or a business, or integrating the trail into development plans.
“This is going to benefit the Sugar House business area,” said Salt Lake County Parks and Rec spokesman Martin Jensen. “Residents are going to have a safe way to recreate and get around. This helps the overall health of the community.”
The Sugar House section of the trail soon will be wrapped up. Two more chunks remain: an area from 1700 East to 2300 East and another between Highland Drive and 300 West.
PRATT Coalition volunteers and Salt Lake City and County employees guessed that completion of the entire trail would take anywhere from five to 40 years.
“This,” Gilmore said, “is something you grow old with.”
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