When transportation officials encourage residents to explore downtown Provo to see what is under University Avenue, they really mean it.
After all, who knows what they'll run into?The Utah Department of Transportation and its contractor Geneva Rock found out Tuesday when digging began at the Center Street and University Avenue intersection as part of the University Avenue reconstruction and resurfacing project.
As layers of the road were removed, a bit of history was uncovered when several railroad tracks and what appeared to be a railroad interchange were found. A few pipes in the middle of the intersection revealed where the city water fountain stood.
According to Provo historical records, A.G. Orem formed the Salt Lake and Utah Railroad Co. on Oct. 5, 1912. to install an electric interurban railroad. The electric trolley was completed July 24, 1914, with the Orem Line going to Salt Lake City.
The train depot was at First West and Center Street, with the main railroad line going down Center Street. Part of the Orem Line also ran north and south to the Brigham Young Academy.
In 1916, service was extended to Payson, providing area residents a quick form of travel until 1920 when automobiles limited its use. The service ended in 1946.
Erma Hoffman, 73, a lifelong Provo resident, said the electric trains were the only form of transportation that went from town to town. "I was about 10 or 12 when I first rode the train. It was not more than 20 cents to ride it to Salt Lake City."
Verne Nelson, 85, has lived most of his life in Provo and remembers the train system as a "life saver because a lot of people didn't have cars."
Earl Lewis, 90, a city commissioner from 1945 to 1949, said the railroad line was very important to the city and was well used in its early days.
The layers of road show that concrete was first poured over the tracks on University Avenue. Years later, several layers of asphalt were added to the road's history.
"They must have figured there was too much expense to tear the tracks out then," said Kevin Beckstrom, UDOT public information officer. The transportation department is digging down 27 inches to "get rid of all the bad things that make a road warp and bend."
The discovery, while fascinating in its own right, will probably delay construction for several days as crews work to tear up the old tracks, Beckstrom said.
Transportation officials said earlier street plans are not inclusive and they only hope the tracks end soon so they can stay on schedule.