While construction is still years away and depends on funding, UDOT intends to build a gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
The proposal was one of five ways to improve traffic congestion on state Route 210 in the canyon. Hours-long delays on the road to the resorts and other popular areas for winter sports in the canyon were common in recent years, especially last winter, when powder days were common amid record-breaking snowfall.
Josh Van Jura is UDOT’s Trails and Group Director and Little Cottonwood project manager. He said the update only confirms UDOT’s commitment to the gondola, and there is no timeline for when construction would begin.
“Securing funding is outside the scope of the [environmental impact statement],” Van Jura said. “I'd have to look into the crystal ball a little bit there for an answer of when funding would be available, which of course means I honestly have no idea.”
The plan involves three phases, and the gondola is in the third phase. Phase 1 focuses on improving transit with traffic restrictions and is expected to take until the fall of 2025 to implement. Those restrictions could include banning parking on the sides of the canyon road and new $20 to $30 tolls drivers would pay during peak hours.
Van Jura says to expect tolls in Little Cottonwood and Big Cottonwood canyons by fall 2025, but decisions about tolls there are still not official.
“It's important to note that the tolling is only going to apply to those visitors who are traveling above White Pine [Trail],” he said. “And it's only anticipated to be in place roughly 50 days a year between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. We want to incentivize people to use transit, and that's the goal of tolling, but again, we wouldn't implement tolling until there is a low-cost transit alternative in place — the buses.”
Phase 2 includes plans to widen Wasatch Boulevard outside of Little Cottonwood Canyon.
The gondola and a 2,500-space parking and transit hub are included in phase 3.
UDOT didn’t include estimated timelines for phases 2 and 3.
The gondola is expected to cost around $550 million, according to the documents UDOT released Wednesday.
A release from UDOT states funding for studies has been secured, but not for many of the projects included in the plans, like the eventual gondola and transit hub.
The study has been underway for more than five years, and UDOT says it received roughly 50,000 public comments during that time. Van Jura said answers to about 40,000 of those from comment periods other than the most recent one have been consolidated and published on the project website.
Advocates for the gondola, including UDOT and some ski resorts, say it’s the best option because it will carry about 35 passengers every 2 minutes, regardless of road conditions.
Critics say it’s an unnecessary burden on taxpayers, many of whom will never use the gondola. Others say the structure would detract from the beauty of the canyon and harm ecosystems.
Van Jura said the study only reviewed data through 2017 and was not influenced by the record-setting snowfall of last winter. Throughout the winter, UDOT closed the roads in Little and Big Cottonwood canyons numerous times due to heavy snow and avalanches.
