Park City wants to continue to consider the future of the S.R. 248 entryway later in 2025 and into early 2026, as leaders and the wider community prepare for what one of the defining transportation-related decisions during the 2034 Winter Olympic era.
The talks about the road will involve various parties, including state transportation officials, but Park City leaders hold a critical role. S.R. 248 is part of the state highway system and the possibilities for improvements would require cooperation between the government entities.
The road, known as Kearns Boulevard inside the Park City limits, is heavily used by drivers headed to and from places like parts of the Snyderville Basin, the East Side of Summit County and Wasatch County. There have been regular backups on the S.R. 248 entryway for years and solutions have proven difficult with the corridor so narrow.
City Hall has published the City Manager Work Plan, covering a wide range of municipal projects and highlighting the progress on them. The future of S.R. 248 is among the notable entries.
Park City leaders in August considered traffic-fighting options for the entryway to address the backups. They sought more study into the possibility of creating a light rail system along the S.R. 248 entryway, as well as a bus rapid transit system. They opposed any route involving the nearby Rail Trail.
The City Manager Work Plan highlights a timeline for progress on S.R. 248. The timeline includes:
- From November until January, what is labeled the “Local Preferred Alternative” will be addressed.
- In 2026 and 2027, there is expected to be work on the “Environmental and Preliminary Engineering.”
- A final design is anticipated one year after the project approval.
- Construction is anticipated two or three years after the approval.
Either a light rail system or a bus rapid transit system along the S.R. 248 entryway would be an extraordinary alteration to the corridor. Light rail, especially, would introduce a form of transit that would be novel in the Wasatch Back, though it has existed for decades along the Wasatch Front.
The two options would be expected to draw attention across the Park City area and into Wasatch County with S.R. 248 being so heavily used. The Prospector neighborhood borders the road, as does the Park City School District campus. There is also ongoing development in the area of Quinn’s Junction.
Park City officials are attempting to craft transportation-related concepts as the community also moves toward planning for the Games of 2034. Leaders see a possibility of securing monies from Washington for infrastructure projects linked to the Winter Olympics. Park City used a similar strategy before the 2002 Winter Olympics, most prominently using federal funds for the development of the Old Town transit center.
“The council’s unanimous decision in August to remove the Rail Trail alignment was a big step. It narrowed the field and gave us clarity. We’re now focused on Level 2 screening and modeling of the S.R. 248 corridor, specifically the light rail and (bus rapid transit) options. That analysis is underway and remains on schedule. We anticipate bringing a Local Preferred Alternative to council in the November–January window, as the work plan lays out,” Acting Park City Manager Jodi Emery said in a statement.
Another topic covered in the City Manager Work Plan is the redevelopment of City Hall acreage in Bonanza Park. The City Manager Work Plan outlines submittals to the Park City Planning Commission and the start of the review is anticipated from October until January. A pre-development agreement will also be negotiated.
“This project has had a long journey. Council is in the middle of a series of structured work sessions with Brinshore to refine design, land use mix, and community/commercial uses. … The milestones in the City Manager Work Plan are being met for this project — August through October was set aside for council work sessions, and those are happening on schedule. We expect to transition to Planning Commission submittals before the January window closes, as planned,” Emery said.
The City Manager Work Plan is updated quarterly. The one currently highlighted on the municipal website was updated in September.
The City Manager Work Plan from September was drafted amid questions in the community about the overall progress made by the municipal government recently. The pace of progress is one of the key issues in the City Hall election this year, when voters will decide the mayor’s office and two seats on the Park City Council.
The document also was updated at about the time Matt Dias, the Park City manager for nearly six years, departed the Marsac Building for the private sector.