Salt Lake City says Rio Grande Plan may solve east-west divide — but can it get Olympic funding?

The resident-led group behind a plan to bury a section of railroad lines west of downtown Salt Lake City — drastically changing transportation between its east and west sides — has started a tour showcasing the plan to a wider audience after making minor modifications.

Via Rio Grande released its Rio Grande Plan 2024 Vision Update late last month, which makes some tweaks to the original plan released in 2020. The update generally absorbs key takeaways from a screening analysis Salt Lake City published late last year , said Nathan Strain, the group's volunteer spokesman.

The gist of the concept remains the same, as the rail corridor would be moved underground using a train box along 500 West. However, the city's scope adds the potential for the underground segment to be expanded from 600 North to 1300 South instead of South Temple to 900 South, which would remove three more railroad crossings if the plan went that route.

Salt Lake City's analysis also estimated the project would cost $3 billion to $5 billion, which hasn't changed, although the group asserts the cost could be offset by new development in areas where the rails are removed if it follows the same pattern as Denver's Union Station .

What has changed is that Salt Lake City has since been named the host of the 2034 Winter Olympics, potentially unlocking federal funds as the city prepares to host the event. The document itself doesn't mention Olympic funding, but it estimates about $2.7 trillion set aside in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act remained up for grabs in 2024.

Via Rio Grande representatives also attended an Olympic announcement viewing party on July 24, holding a sign advertising the proposed project as they hope to seize the moment.

"That is probably our best opportunity to get this built. Utah's going to be the receiving end of a lot of federal dollars ... and this is a great project to take the forefront," Strain said, adding he believes the plan would deliver the big-vision-type project that Gov. Spencer Cox said he wants ahead of the global event.

It also received a big endorsement from Salt Lake County leaders on Tuesday.

Project hurdles

Yet there are multiple unanswered questions. The two biggest might be funding guarantees and whether the two major rail owners — Utah Transit Authority and Union Pacific — are willing to participate.

Carlton Christensen, chairman of the UTA board of trustees, told KSL.com the agency has answered all the questions about the plan it has been asked, but he remains skeptical of the project's future for a few reasons, including cost. There are no mentions of the project in either the UTA's or Wasatch Front Regional Council's long-term capital plans, while other transit items — like the TechLink Corridor Study that would add a new TRAX line — are considered higher priorities.

Should Utah receive any transportation Olympic funding, he expects it would go toward those high-priority projects.

Union Pacific has also been hesitant, said Salt Lake City Councilman Dan Dugan. He believes the company won't support the plan until they're able to grasp its benefits, which the city is working on. The biggest pitch officials have made is it could reduce crossing conflicts, improving safety and risks in the area.

Removing a barrier?

Up until this week, Utah's capital was the biggest entity to support the plan so far. City leaders say it could reopen 75 acres of land to build on as the historic corridor moves underground, but they also see it as a potential solution to a long-standing division between the east and west sides divided by the railroad corridor and nearby I-15.

Trains often stop at crossings, sometimes blocking busy routes for hours. The issue could worsen in the future because UTA's double-tracking project would increase FrontRunner frequency, while the Utah Inland Port could bring more, longer freight trains and there's an effort to bring more Amtrak service back to Utah .

All of these could spark potential traffic logjams without any changes to the city's transportation layout.

"We're going to build another wall if we don't do something with rail," Dugan said.

While the Rio Grande Plan is not in any existing transit plans, Dugan said he believes the project could ultimately land in a bigger effort to bridge the east-west gap. With help from multiple agencies, including a federal grant, Salt Lake City gathered $3.7 million to study the issue .

The study is expected to begin over the next few months, where the Rio Grande Plan could be listed as a solution. That could also open a door to funding opportunities.

"I think it's got a lot of potential," Dugan added. "This is the core section of town that we really need to connect well from east to west."

Presentation tour

Via Grande Plan is now seeking to gain support from other key entities, which they got this week. The Salt Lake County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to support the plan and "encourage" its transportation plans.

"As we look forward to the Olympics returning, the revitalization of downtown and the rethinking the future of transportation, this proposal is timely and necessary," said Salt Lake County Chairwoman Laurie Stringham, in a statement after the vote.

The resident-led group will also speak to the Utah Legislature's interim transportation committee on Sept. 16. They've already presented to some Salt Lake City community councils and plan to visit more over the next few weeks.

The group acknowledges it might be an uphill battle, but they also believe the idea sells itself.

"It's a generational opportunity," Strain said. "We don't often find things that have so many benefits."

The project’s future likely depends on whether state and federal agencies also see it that way.