SALT LAKE CITY (AP) _ The Legacy highway project doesn't appear to have any chance of coming in under the proposed $451 million price tag, Utah Transportation Department officials said.
"We've started construction in the Burke Lane area," at the northern end of the 14-mile-long project, John Njord, UDOT's new head, told the Legislature's Transportation Committee on Wednesday.
The portion of the four-lane freeway from Interstate 215 in northern Salt Lake County to Farmington is scheduled to be completed in 2004. It would be the first phase of up to a 100-mile-long highway from Payson to as far north as Brigham City.
While UDOT has begun construction, the agency still is acquiring about 800 parcels along the designated southern Davis County right of way, mostly pastures.
A higher percentage of property owners than normal are rejecting UDOT purchase proposals, Njord said. He said he believes a number of owners are cooperating in efforts to inflate the values of their land, thus driving up the projected $83 million in property costs.
"It's very frustrating from our stand point," he said.
The next major date for UDOT is July 26, when Utah federal Judge Bruce Jenkins is scheduled to hear arguments in lawsuits seeking to stop the Legacy Parkway construction on environmental grounds.
Those lawsuits claim the Federal Highway Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers did not comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when they issued construction permits for the project.
(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
APTV 05-24-01 0312MDT
