FARMINGTON, Utah (AP) A 14-mi. (22.5 km) highway that is expected to relieve congestion on Interstate 15 is on schedule to open in fall 2008.
The $685 million Legacy Parkway, between northern Salt Lake County and Farmington, was revived in 2005 by Gov. Jon Huntsman, after successful legal challenges by environmental groups.
The settlement has firm rules: The speed limit will be 55 mph, heavy trucks will be prohibited and the road surface will minimize noise.
Trails for pedestrians, bicycles and horses will flank the highway.
“It isn’t just a drive,” Huntsman said during a tour, “it’s an experience.”
A 125-acre (50 ha) nature preserve is being created to replace the wetlands and wildfowl habitat destroyed during construction.
The parkway is expected to reduce traffic on I-15 by 30 percent, said Ken Connaughton, spokesman of the Utah Department of Transportation.
