A $489 million project converting U.S. 89 into a freeway in Davis County led to the removal of a longtime landmark on Monday — the old Layton water tank.
“This water tank has probably been here since before I was born,” said Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton. “Everyone asked where Layton was. If you came in on [highway] 89, you said, ‘Turn at the water tank.’”
Layton Mayor Joy Petro said the tank “has been an iconic landmark here. This is kind of a bittersweet moment to see this tank go town.”
The tank was in what will be the middle of a widened roadway for the new freeway, so it had to go. Layton has built a new, bigger water tank nearby east of what will be new freeway.
Utah Department of Transportation spokesman Zach Whitney said the overall project is scheduled for completion in 2023. Most of the work so far this year was to move utilities along the roadway.
“This project is kind of dramatically changing the landscape of the area,” Whitney said. “We are grateful to the city for partnering with us to find ways to make transportation better in that area.”
