Opponents Sue To Stop Legacy Highway

Jan. 17, 2001-- Less than a week after getting the go-ahead for construction, the controversial Legacy Highway now faces what may be its biggest hurdle yet.

Wednesday opponents filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to stop the road.

More Info Legacy Parkway Web Site Stop Legacy Highway Web Site Virtual Tour of Proposed Highway Artist's Renderings Recent Past Stories Army Corps Grants Permit For Highway Jan. 10, 2001 Gov Says EPA Won't Stop Highway Jan. 5, 2001 Weber Cities Plan For Legacy Highway Jan. 4, 2001 Little Enthusiasm For Northern Part of Highway Jan. 2, 2001 Army Corps Will Okay Highway Permit Dec. 21, 2000 New Report Questions Need For Highway Apr. 24, 2000 Will Highway Solve or Create Traffic Trouble? Apr. 25, 2000

They say they don't want the Wasatch Front to become another Los Angeles, and that's why they're filing a lawsuit challenging the road.

The proposed road is a pet project of Governor Leavitt. Eventually it would connect Brigham City with Nephi. But the first phase would link Davis County with the Salt Lake Valley, in part by paving over more than 100 acres of wetlands of the Great Salt Lake.

A broad coalition of groups is working to stop the road. They argue the highway is unnecessary and that a more diverse mix of transportation options is the better solution.

Today, in front of a downtown Trax station, the coalition launched its "Transit First" campaign as it filed the lawsuit against the two federal agencies which approved the highway--the Federal Highway Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers.

One of their main arguments is that the Utah Department of Transportation grossly underestimated the potential contribution mass transit can make towards meeting future travel demand. Also, they say UDOT failed to consider all reasonable and least-environmentally damaging alternatives.

UDOT denies those claims and says they still plan to start construction this summer.

Obviously this suit--could present a roadblock.