America's Byways® Press Room
September 27, 2006 - Logan Canyon Classic Car Caravan

After months of slow-moving semitrailers commanding the drive up Logan Canyon, Tuesday’s (Sept. 26) midmorning traffic was a lot more showy.

Led by a police escort, a caravan of classic cars wound up U.S. Highway 89 on their way to the summit and a new scenic overlook - the crowning achievement of a two-year, $21.8 million construction project financed by the Utah Department of Transportation designed to make the route safer for motorists and off-road vehicles.

“We’re very pleased to be here today,” said John Njord, UDOT’s executive director. “When we invest in transportation projects, it’s an investment in our future, our quality of life and our economic viability.”

UDOT officially opened the route for business with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Bear Lake overlook, bringing to an end a construction project that broke ground in April 2005.

Njord called the 41-mile roadway that connects Cache and Rich counties a “lifeline,” and identified the thoroughfare as one of the most significant anywhere in Utah.

“This corridor is one of the jewels of the entire state,” he said. “Obviously, it’s been a very high priority to the department” to finish the work on it.

Since work began a year and a half ago, crews have widened the road way and its shoulders, improved traffic signs, created new passing lanes, replaced and seismically upgraded three aging bridges, built a pedestrian underpass at the mouth of the canyon, realigned sharp curves and erected the overlook at Bear Lake.

“…I think it’s wonderful that we are giving our tourists a safe trip through that canyon,” said Judy Holbrook, director of the Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s going to help out local visitation so much.”

Since the overlook and rest area opened June 26, more than 21,000 people have signed a guest book there - dwarfing the 4,200 people who signed their names to a visitor’s center in Garden City the year before.

Holbrook said UDOT has also created a few new panoramic views that will enable tourism boosters to more aggressively advertise their off-season.

“It gives us a hands-on market.” she said. “A lot of people were concerned about pulling trailers through there, but the way it is now I think people will feel that extra safety as they come in and view that road.”

Rep. Fred Hunsaker, R-Logan, said sinking millions of dollars into the roadwork was a worthy investment for the state to make.

“It’s important for everybody on both sides of the mountain,” he said. “It’s not just a convenience issue, but it’s a life safety issue and one that’s absolutely critical for those who drive it regularly.”

The canyon’s visual opportunities aren’t hurt either, he added.

“If you are fighting the road and worrying about the corners, you find it difficult to focus on the aesthetic values,” he said.

By Adam Benson for the Herald Journal in Logan, Utah.

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