Grant funding for the first phase of the Midvale Canal Trail is set to expire at the end of the year, and Midvale is looking to get its money’s worth.

The first phase of the two-trail network will create a multiuse path along the corridors of the Jordan and Salt Lake City Canal, stretching from 7800 South to 7500 South, near Midvalley Elementary School. The trail segment can stand alone as a “single and complete project,” according to Consor North America, the engineering firm designing the project.   

Midvale has been working with Consor to design and construct Phase 1 of the multitrail project since last year. However, construction on the pathway has stalled after running into disputes with Salt Lake Public Utilities, the owner of the Jordan and Salt Lake City Canal, said Community Development Director Adam Olsen.

“However, we still have the grant funding,” Olsen said. “What we'd like to do is expand that grant funding to do more design work along the entirety of the canal so that when we are able to cross these hurdles, we'll have basically a more … shovel-ready project to move forward with.”

In response to the delay, the Midvale City Council voted 5-0 on Sept. 2 to modify its contract with Consor North America to begin design work on the rest of the trail that starts at 8000 South, extending north along I-215, and ending at Wheeler Farm.

The city earmarked $240,000 for phase one of the Midvale Canal Trail and agreed to pay Consor North America $116,715 for its services, according to the amended agreement. The revised contract will capitalize on the Tourism, Recreation, Culture, and Convention grant awarded by Salt Lake County. The grant monies expire at the end of December. 

In its entirety, the Midvale Canal Trail will consist of two trail routes: one spanning 3.4 miles along the Jordan and Salt Lake City Canal, and the other 1.5 miles on the East Jordan Canal corridor near Hillcrest High School. 

Building a vast web of trails is a high priority for the state of Utah.

In 2023, the state legislature began allocating $45 million annually to the Utah Department of Transportation to create the Utah Trail Network, a plan to construct an extensive pathway system throughout the Beehive State.

To kick off the trail network, UDOT approved 19 trails last year, amounting to 60 miles of paved pathways. The transportation department added a trail in St. George to its list of projects in August, bringing the web of trail routes to 20.

Midvale will continue looking for grant funding to pay for the construction of the canal trail as the design process moves forward, Olsen said. The estimated cost of the entire project is $18.5 million, according to a feasibility study conducted in 2023.

The feasibility study also surveyed residents living near both canals and found that 56% of the residents shared some level of support for the Midvale Canal Trail, and 44% opposed the project. The most common concerns expressed by residents were public safety, privacy and maintenance costs.

“The project team believes these concerns can be mitigated [through] ongoing education regarding the benefits of multiuse paths, including their positive impacts on property values and in reducing crime,” the study reads.