UTA kicks off construction of new east-west express route connecting Murray and WVC

Utah Transit Authority representatives and elected officials pose during the Midvalley Express construction kickoff event at Murray Central Station on Aug. 28, 2024. (Alixel Cabrera/Utah News Dispatch)

A new 7-mile east-west connection is in the works between Murray, Taylorsville and West Valley City and may be completed by the fall of 2026.  

The Utah Transit Authority is working on the Midvalley Express, a bus rapid transit system with dedicated lanes, transit signal priority and sheltered station seating. The result, officials said, will be a faster, more efficient route with a 15-minute wait in between buses and free fares for the first five years.

“Think like a TRAX train, but on rubber wheels,” Andrew Gruber, executive director of the Wasatch Front Regional Council. “It’s really efficient, and it still moves people around quickly, through lots of communities.”

The route is expected to connect key destinations across the central Salt Lake Valley, including a hospital, Salt Lake Community College, shopping centers, and connections with other transit systems. It may also be a key route for the state’s future sports events. 

“As we look towards the 2034 Winter Olympics, it’s going to be a game changer,” said Jay Fox, UTA executive director, at a construction kickoff event.

With this new express route, riders would be able to get to the Maverik Center, and connect to FrontRunner or TRAX lines, Fox said. 

The authority has other bus rapid transit routes: the Utah Valley Express, which covers 10 miles between Provo and Orem, and the Ogden Express, a five-mile line connecting McKay-Dee Hospital with Ogden Central Station. Two successful models, with millions of customers throughout their history, Fox said.

There’s an initial commitment to have 10 all-electric buses dedicated to the line. Once the route becomes more utilized, Fox said, they could run more frequently.

Construction on the route is expected to cost $100 million. About 65% of that was funded by the Federal Transit Administration, according to a UTA news release. The remaining costs were covered by the state and local land donations. 

One hope for the project, Utah Republican Rep. Burgess Owens said on Wednesday, is to be part of a cultural shift in the state.

Owens hopes Utahns start choosing more mass transit “because it is predictable, it is cheaper. You can get there in a better way. It’s a good return on investment,” he said. “If we get that done, it’s going to help us in so many different ways, including making sure we’re being very environmentally friendly.”

The congressman also praised the project, a first in Salt Lake County, because it will not only move people more efficiently, but will make an economic impact by creating jobs, supporting local businesses and enhancing access to services, he said. Owens also committed to advocate to advance the state’s transit interests in the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

During the event, state Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, celebrated what this could mean for the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Not only will this route connect with trains in the UTA system, he said, but it will make road improvements in the area, including designated bus lanes along the 4500/4700 South Expressway from Atherton Drive to Redwood Road.

“The thing that I really love about this is it connects communities,” Harper said. “It will allow complete streets programs to happen in Taylorsville, connecting other things that were to happen in Murray and West Valley.”