(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Alejandro Ocha and Ronie Ocha work on a chain-link fence along a new segment of Parley's Trail on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.
The Salt Lake Valley soon will be a mile and a half closer to being crossed by an east-west bicycle and foot path.
Construction is nearly complete on a new trail linking Sugar House and Tanner parks in Salt Lake City.
The new Parley’s Trail segment, under construction since November, is anticipated to open for use in early October, with a ribbon-cutting Oct. 17.
“It’s an exciting development because there will now be a contiguous section of Parley’s Trail from 1300 East to the mouth of Parleys Canyon, and in only one spot will you have to potentially stop for vehicular traffic,” said Juan Arce-Larreta, chairman of the Parley’s Rails Trails and Tunnels Coalition.
With the new stretch, the Parley’s Trail system will be about 6.25 miles in segments stretching east from 900 West and ending with the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near Parleys Canyon. The new segment, which cost $6.9 million, was paid for with a countywide bond approved in 2012.
The new leg of the trail is the second section to be completed this year. Farther west, cyclists and pedestrians can now pass through the “spaghetti bowl” with a footpath constructed along the Utah Transit Authority rail bridge between 300 West and 900 West, at about 2200 South.
Trail designers’ long-term vision is a non-motorized route extending from the Jordan River Parkway to the mouth of Parleys Canyon. With the newest segment completed, the only missing links are between Fairmont Park and Wilmington Avenue south of Hidden Hollow, and between 300 West and State Street.
Elsewhere, the trail follows alongside rail tracks, highways and park paths, allowing users to commute or exercise outside of vehicle traffic.
A 5K fun run fundraiser for Parley’s Trail will take place Sept. 30. See box below for more details.
Here is a map of the trail, with the upcoming segment shown in green.
Do the Dodo Dash<br>The Dodo Dash 5K fun run Saturday, Sept. 30, at Sugar House Park will raise funds for the developing Parley’s Trail system, which is celebrating the completion of two more sections this year.<br>Registration costs $25 per runner age 15 and older, or $22 per runners who sign up in groups of four or more. The entry fee is $10 for youth ages 9 to 14 and free for kids 8 and younger.<br>Runners receive a $20 gift card to The Dodo Restaurant, just north of the park, and T-shirts will be given to the first 100 registrants. Groups that register together and run in matching apparel will also receive a gift certificate for a dessert from The Dodo.<br>The 5K begins at 9 a.m., with a shorter race for kids at 8:30 a.m. Runners should meet at the big pavilion east of the lake at Sugar House Park, 1330 E. 2100 South. Runners may register online at https://runsignup.com/Race/UT/SaltLakeCity/DodoDash until 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29.
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