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Show Wednesday September 18 The Forum 1996 0 CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION 3 HEADACHE By Paul Gadd Forum staff writer ! order to accommodate the for a very trying time. hundreds of thousands of Endless delays and fruseach day. cars using tration will pave comidea muters' roads into the next seems on The okay paper but never before has century. But can such an expanthe Salt Lake Valley seen construction like this. sive and intense project be Consequently, no amount good? Sure, the task will of planning will ever pre- take nearly five years of ck work pare us for what lies ahead. When you consider the sit- rather than the initial ten, which is how long it uation, it's frightening. were to Southwest Airlines is would take if the only business expected remain open during con1--15 In the 1930s, movie- goers were horrified by King Kong as the giant beast terrorized New York. Then came Godzilla in the 1970s and the near destruction of Tokyo. But those two flicks are mere cartoons compared to the beast that is going to hit Salt Lake City for the next round-the-clo- 1--15 to benefit from the facelift. A beast more ugly than Beginning in July of 1997, airline is Godzilla and King Kong the low-fa- re half-deca- de. producing offspring together. That's right. From Spring of 1997 to October 2001 the Salt Lake Valley will be the target of are you sitting down? CONSTRUC- i TION! t !, I f 1 s. The plans that Utah of Department . Transportation UDOT and community officials have in store for Salt Lake's main traffic artery are enough to make people leave the state. For those of you not aware of Salt Lake Citys hellish future, let me summarize. Beginning next spring, Interstate 15 will be fully closed from 1080fi South to 600 North as crews completely rebuild the ile stretch. Included in the project will be the resurfacing of the entire freeway as well as the demolition and rebuilding of 130 bridges. In addition, the massive interchange will be replaced. This is no small project. The construction is not expected to be complete until 2001, just in time for the Olympics. Is anybody as shocked as I was when I first heard the news? Shutting down for nearly five years? The idea seems ludicrous. No matter how you try and look at it, the next few years in Salt Lake City are going to be ugly. The constant sea of construction orange will make Halloween seem like a nd holiday. But wait! Our city officials have the problem taken care of. We will simply widen major roads in 17-m- i' c I I I I 5' i 4 i1 ! t 4, 1 J The Forum is seekideas and toping ics for the infamous Parson Poll. If you have any contributions or would like to be a please participant come see us or give us a call. The Forum Converse X 157 201 0I-15 1--15 year-rou- to start its non-st- op service from The to Bountiful. Sandy service will be targeted at grandparents who will otherwise forget what their grandchildren look like due to four years of not seeing the kids. For years scientists and geologists have said the Salt Lake Valley will inevitably experience a devastating earthquake. Come next year, those visiting the city might think the prediction has come to expected struction. Does the city really expect construction workers to be at task 24 hours a day? It sounds like a setup to the perfect oxymoron if you ask me. Residential streets will become clogged with drivers when impatient malor streets such as Redwood Road, 700 East and State Street become too congested for travel. Ana what about those frigid January mornings when over a foot of snow has blanketed the valley? Will the city shut down or will employers demand that workers risk their pass. Heck! I say bring on the own safety and arrive at "Big One." It mignt even work? Tne possibilities for disaster are much too tidy up the place a bit. Gone will be the days of great. Accidents happen daily a 20 minute drive from Sandy to downtown or a 30 on Salt Lake City roads. from When all roads are packed drive minute with commuters, how will Holladay to Lagoon. In fact, one could prob- emergency vehicles rush ably design and build his to the scene? And did you notice that own theme park in the time it will take to get to the construction is convethe popular hotspot. niently scheduled to be But you never know completed just before the what good a project like 2002 Olympic Games here this can bring to the city's in Salt Lake City begin? Hooray! Salt Lake City population. I can picture it now. got the Games and, conDuring CBS's broadcast of the USA vs. Russia gold medal hockey game in the 2002 Winter Olympics, Bryant Gumble interrupts the action for an awe inspiring story of a skier. The try in resides Salt Lake man City and stumbled upon the sport by accident when he began skiing to work and hack every day because it was faster than driving. With all joking aside, there is no doubt that the Wasatch Front is headed cross-coun- gratulations, you also got all of the hassle, stress and frustration that comes with the two-we- ek spectacle. I ask you, is it really worth all the trouble? Right now there's nothing any of us can do but go with the flow. For those of you who will brave the streets every morning, good luck. For those of you who are leaving the state, you are considered a genius in my book. |