There are many highway tunnels in the world. With Utah having the tallest thin mountain range in the world, Utah should be the highway tunnel drilling experts. The distance between Salt Lake City and Logan is six miles longer than a tunnel from Honeyville and Wellsville plus existing routes would provide. In turn, a straight line highway with tunnels from Evanston, Wyo., to Honeyville, Utah, would not only save fuel, but open up new winter sports access to Monte Cristo. A nearly straight line from Scipio to Tremonton's I-15/I-84 junction via Antelope Island would shorten the through objectives by over 25 miles. A portion of that route could serve as part of the troubled "Legacy" route.
A straight line from Echo Junction to a west desert I-80 connection would shorten that route over 25 miles.A subway light rail route in a straight line from the Salt Lake airport to the U. of U. would halve the length and travel time from the destination terminals.
I envision Utah with a politically correct transportation system without fear as the deciding criteria. The most correct would be to find shortcuts to save time and fuel reserves for our offspring. Shortened routes would save more than 25 miles in at least four directions of the periphery around the state's population center. These shortcuts would invite through traffic to separate itself from commuter traffic, thus leaving us alone on commuter lanes.
Dean Youngkeit
Willard