Utah Lake Causeway

[Josh Shirley]

The other day SL Tribune printed an article about a potential roadway through the middle of Utah Lake.
I read other articles about this, and heard a few people mention the idea.
I understand that at this point it is more of an idea, but it seems to be gaining some momentum.
Anyway I wonder what you guys think about that?
Would it be good for the Lake?
How would it affect windsurfing/kiting?

http://www.sltrib.com//ci_7620594?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

http://www.sltrib.com//ci_7481759?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-124312591.html

I am mostly curious what you guys think about this.

[Jacob Buzianis]

SWEET! Butter smooth lake for kiter.

For windsurfer, poleboarder would probably won't benefit from the bridge since it will be a wind shadow for them

[RickHeninger]

HA HA! Jake... Nice! Yeah, it would be butter smooth, but only on the leeward sides of the road, if it's a road like the one out to GSL... The lake is big enough that the swell would still be big enough... However, maybe they'll make it a bridge. Then there for sure wouldn't be swell scrapage. AND, they can give it a drawbridge type portion for passage of kiters during the Running of the Carp! That is, if anybody still has the guts to try it again!

Actually, it is in the early stages. Ty Hunter at the Parks was telling me about it. If it's done, it definitely won't effect wind, of course. Swell maybe. But if you cut a line from Provo airport or Mosida Orchards over to Pelican Point with a road, you're at the point where the biggest swell gets anyways. Now you just have a safety stop, on a south especially! It's perfect.

From the north or south. PLUS, think of all the Launch Points we could push for along that road... Places for people to park... HECK, a mid lake park, Mid Lake Park, Palets not included!!!... Good wind from all directions... Kiters and Windsurfers together! Kiters on the leeward side hollaring and Windsurfers playing in the swell on the windward side! No jumping the road though kiters! Although that would probably happen. Also, imagine the the exposure of the sports to people driving constantly acrossed the lake.

I say, go ahead... Sooner the better... Although the reality is, it'll probably be a toll bridge/causeway with minimal facilities. We'll keep an eye on those details.

[DimitriMilovich]

What an incredibly stupid idea.

It's "needed" to reduce congestion on roads, so 10 years later, they'll build another causeway to the south because the first causeway is grid locked. Then another yet further south because those two are gridlocked. All because Happy Valley can't figure out public transportation and zoning or manage its growth. It's some developer's dream and it will only speed up the blight that is working its way down the west shore of Utah Lake.

You want to sail on a lake or in some big retention ponds?

[btjsfca]

I'm so glad someone chimed in with what I was thinking.

I'll repeat: What an incredibly stupid idea.

Maybe the traffic will get people to think about building their houses in BFE. You have to create disincentives for this type of flagrantly idiotic behavior that is extremely environmentally damaging. And you know what? As soon as they build the causeway to ease your commute, the first thing that's going to happen is the west shore is going to be overrun with new development. There goes your happy, quiet little community.

Idiots.

-J

[Josh Shirley]

http://www.sltrib.com//ci_7663954?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

I think what concerns me most about this how people perceive the lake as a dump that needs to be removed or ignored. I have thought of creating a bumper sticker. Something like: "Make Utah Lake Blue!" or some sort of play off of the "Keep Tahoe Blue" campaign.

The other thing that really bugs me about this is, the estimated $500 million budget to build the causeway. If that much was spent on a clean up of the lake the land values surrounding the lake would probably increase ten fold.

[RickHeninger]

I do agree... It is highly unnecessary... And is a "stupid" idea from people in some position of power who are highly over zealous... But if they ARE going to do it. It's not necessarily going to affect our sailing/riding. That's my point.