It’s official.
A new jogging/walking path on the outskirts of Tooele City is completed and ready for use.
The Tooele County Commission, representatives of the Tooele County Health Department and other health enthusiasts participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday to signal the completion of the Smelter Pathway.
The pathway consists of 8 1/2 foot-wide strips of fresh pavement on both sides of Smelter Road that runs for 2.3 miles east of Ericson Road to just past the entrance of the Tooele Gun Club.
Newly painted cycling symbols on both sides of the road indicate the path is for cyclists, joggers and walkers. White stripping separates the pathway from the road.
A main way to get to the pathway is to travel east on Tooele’s 400 North that becomes Smelter Road after Droubay Road.
A few cyclists and walkers started using the path last week, according to health department officials.
“It’s really nice to hear that people who stopped using this road because of potholes are using it again. I love to hear that from people,” said Kim Clausing, health educator. Clausing has been working on active transportation projects for the county for three years.
“People are saying they feel safer now from cars and from tripping,” she said.
Jeff Coombs, county health department director, said that county road crews fixed the potholes in the road and sprayed a sealant over the road.
“They were able to use some of the material from the road to build the pathway,” he said.
Brad Gillies, business manager for the health department and an avid cyclist, took a jaunt on the new path with his bike before the ceremony.
“It’s fantastic,” he said. “The lanes are painted, and the views are incredible. I saw a few deer. It’s steep enough to provide a good workout.”
The cost to fix Smelter Road and build the pathway tallied about $230,000, according to Rod Thompson, county road department director.
“The recent county budget adjustment included $300,000 from the health department’s fund balance to pay for three active transport projects,” Coombs said. “The Smelter Road project is one of those projects.”
In August 2016, the county health department used funds from a grant from the Utah Health Department’s Environment, Policy and Clinical Care Program and teamed up with a local Boy Scout doing a service project to mark a walking route along Smelter Road called the Tooele Valley Overlook Trail. Signs were placed at the beginning and end of the trail at every quarter mile.
Smelter Road and the new pathway are adjacent to the Pine Canyon Conservation Area managed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Erna Waterman, who helps manage the area for the EPA, spoke about the history and future of the area at a recent meeting of the Tooele County Historical Society.
She said the area will be retained forever in its natural, scenic, open space condition. And that the agency will prevent any uses that would impair or interfere with the wildlife habitat or other conservation values of the area.
The speed limit on the road is 45 mph, but health department officials said they would petition to have the speed limit reduced to 35 mph.
“We also don’t want cars to park on the pathway,” Coombs said.
Clausing said another open house dealing with active transportation will be held on Oct. 11 at the Stansbury Clubhouse to discuss plans to build a walking/cycling path along Rabbit Lane in Erda.
“Eventually we would like all the paths to tie in to Deseret Peak Complex so people can bike or run to Deseret Peak safely — including a path from Grantsville,” Clausing said.