City and state officials broke ground for the long-anticipated Forest Street overpass, or Brigham City Crossing, on Tuesday, April 1. City and state officials attended, along with a few interested residents.
Officials attending the groundbreaking included current Brigham City Mayor DJ Bott; Box Elder County Commissioner and former Brigham City mayor Tyler Vincent; former Brigham City mayor Lou Ann Christensen; Brigham City Council members Robin Troxell and Ryan Smith; Utah State Representative Tom Peterson; Utah State Senator Scott Sandall; and Executive Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Joel Ferry. Ferry previously served in the Utah House of Representatives and was instrumental in getting the funding mechanism in place for the overpass.
Vincent, Ferry and Bott gave brief remarks.
The project has proceeded in phases, with early improvements made on roads south of Forest Street to enable business access during and after construction. Forest Street has been closed between about 600 West and 950 West since January while crews have relocated utilities. Over the next several months the public will start to see the bridge itself take shape.
Construction is expected to last for 18 to 24 months and is currently on budget.
Summary of Tyler Vincent’s remarks
Vincent recounted the importance of preparing for the future and specifically mentioned Mayor Ruel Eskelsen, who was the driving force behind the creation of Mantua Reservoir in the late 1950s.
“I truly believe that this overpass is going to be similar to that as far as providing economic growth to our city and also making our Main Street and our city more viable and more productive.”
“When I became the mayor of Brigham City, there were several issues that we discussed as a council and saw that we were struggling with in Brigham City, and this rail was one of them, simply because of the amount of time that people were sitting waiting to get across the rail, either to go to work or go to Brigham City.”
At the time, Mayor Vincent tried to work with the railroad to find a solution, but they were unable to reach an agreement.
“One cold January afternoon, I come to go across the rail and the rail was blocked. I noticed there was an ambulance, a police car, and a fire truck trying to get across the rail. One of the engines was sitting blocking the rail to where the ambulance couldn’t get across. So our emergency services went down to Sixth [North], they couldn’t get across from there. So they actually came and went behind the high school, could not get across there. Ended up going out to the freeway to get to this accident.”
At that point, Vincent reached out to Joel Ferry and Scott Sandall, who were serving in the Utah Legislature. He expressed his gratitude to them for putting the funding mechanisms in place that allowed the overpass to be built.
Vincent also expressed his gratitude to the business owners and residents who have been impacted by the construction. He acknowledged that the process has been difficult and expressed his confidence that the end result will make Brigham City better.
Summary of Joel Ferry’s remarks
Ferry called it “a great day for Brigham City” before he was interrupted by a train coming through the crossing and eventually blocking the intersection.
He said working with the railroad can be difficult because so many of the rules that apply to them are federal regulations and state and local governments have very little control.
Ferry said the legislature recognized a few years ago that the railroad wasn’t paying sales tax on its fuel purchases. The Utah State Legislature removed the exemption and earmarked that money for projects like this one.
“We earmarked that to do these kinds of projects, and we said okay, Brigham City, you’re going to be first in line. And that’s what’s paying for this overpass. So the impact they’re having is helping to offset it by building this bridge.”
“This bridge is going to be a great thing for Brigham City. It’s a great thing for our community. And again, I truly believe that it will bring and it does bring the east side together with the west side and creates a cohesive community. And that’s what this is about.”
“This is going to be one of those moments in the history of Brigham City where we look back and say This made a difference. This made a difference to the citizens. And that’s what this is really going to do.”
“I am so proud of Brigham City for keeping this thing on budget. Five years ago we estimated this thing was going to cost $30 million, and you know what it’s going to cost today? Even after all the inflation and everything else, after UDOT said it can’t be done—$30 million. So good job guys, you deserve a round of applause for all the good work.”
Ferry also expressed appreciation to the contractors for working with the city to keep it within budget.
Summary of DJ Bott’s remarks
Mayor Bott acknowledged the importance of the railroad to the country and to the community.
“But the time has come that we need to go over them, so we’re not impeding them and they’re not impeding us.”
He expressed gratitude to the legislature for coming up with a solution to pay for the overpass.
Bott expressed appreciation to local businesses including Big J Mill, the storage facilities, and others affected by the construction, both for their patience during the construction and for their cooperation and willingness to engage with the city regarding easements, property exchanges, and other necessary steps to complete the project.
“We’re going to call it a tender mercy that we’ve stayed under budget considering all the inflation that has happened. I don’t know how that happened. We’re going to call it a tender mercy and maybe even a divine miracle.”
Watch the full ceremony below:
How the project is funded:
In 2020, the Utah Legislature imposed a fuel sales tax on railroads and used that tax to fund projects that would improve the safety of railroad crossings, especially where there was concern about emergency services access and with high levels of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The bill was sponsored by then-Representative Joel Ferry and co-sponsored in the Senate by Scott Sandall, both of whom represented Brigham City and Box Elder County constituencies.
Money was appropriated in the 2021 Utah legislative session for the Forest Street railroad crossing. It is the first infrastructure project in Utah funded by the railroad fuel tax.
HB4002 in 2020 established the tax and fund; HB433 in 2021 appropriated the initial $29 million for the overpass.