One of the oldest roads in Murray, Vine Street, was originally a pioneer trail that led from the temple quarry in Little Cottonwood Canyon to a halfway camp on Vine Street and 5600 South. The road still has remnants of its agricultural past, as sections are lined with ditches and old-growth trees. But increased traffic volumes call for modern roadway improvements. 

In 2018, work crews will commence a four-year project to improve safety, reduce congestion, and accommodate multi-modal traffic on parts of Vine Street between 900 East and the Van Winkle Expressway. Murray City, in coordination with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), will initiate the project on the section of Vine Street that was annexed from and previously maintained by Salt Lake County.

The project will widen some sections of Vine Street to allow for continuous sidewalks, curbs and gutters, shoulders and bicycle lanes. This will include one 11-foot-wide lane in each direction with an 11-foot median/left turn lane.

The goal of the improvements is to provide a safe and efficient roadway for multiple modes of travel including passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. It will also provide a safe walking route for children attending Woodstock Elementary.  

The first phase of the project runs from 900 East to 1300 East and will be constructed in 2019, however, some utility replacement work will start in 2018.  The second phase runs from 1300 East to Van Winkle and construction is planned for 2021.

According to Doug Hill, Murray City public services director, “Much of Vine Street is already at the correct width and the city is working to minimize the impacts to private property along the entire project.  However, there are sections where the city will need to acquire property to allow for curb and gutter and sidewalk to be installed.”

Federal funding from the UDOT Local Government program will be used to finance the project. The estimated cost of the project is $9 million, of which 93 percent is federally funded. This includes the costs of utility relocation, right-of-way acquisition, environmental clearance, preliminary and final design, construction, and project management.

Vine Street is designated as a bike route in Murray City’s Bicycle Master Plan. But as the road is an inconsistent two-lane/three-lane, it presents for cyclists road design and parking issues that conflict with the Master Plan.

The project will include installation of new roadway signage and pavement marking, as well as modifications to sidewalks, curbs and gutters, pedestrian ramps, storm drain systems and utilities. 

Minor acquisitions from several adjacent properties, in the form of narrow takes of right-of-way, may be necessary. The project area primarily borders residential properties, but several commercial properties will also be impacted.

Murray City has been conducting open houses regarding the project. Beverly Crangle, who lives near the project area, registered her concerns at an August 22 city council meeting. “There really isn’t that heavy of traffic on Vine Street that would require tax dollars to be spent on removing and then putting in new sidewalks.”

“We have had both positive and negative feedback on the project,” Hill said. “Most of the negative comments are isolated to the sections of the project that require widening.”

Through traffic will most likely be detoured around the project, the road will be open to local traffic. An environmental impact study was completed on the project and found no issues.

Public documents related to the projected can be found online at: http://www.murray.utah.gov/civicalerts.aspx?aid=751 .