The Utah Department of Transportation has produced a new state highway map just in time for the Games ? and it could become a collector's item.
Available free through the Utah Travel Council and UDOT, the new map replaces the previous one, issued in July 2000.
The new publication has the Olympic rings on the cover. Since it was printed in limited quantities, only about 100,000 copies vs. 380,000 for the 2000 version, and because of the timing of the Olympic Games, it may become a souvenir.
"I think it's gorgeous," Kent Hansen, Utah Travel Council communications director, said. "It's a very functional map."
He suspects it may be a collector's item, and he's keeping one copy himself as a keepsake.
The new publication contains four small Olympic venue maps that highlight Ogden, Salt Lake, Park City and Provo Olympic features.
Amanda Covington, spokeswoman for UDOT, said the addition of the Olympic venue sites is the main difference in the new map. She said officials hope the new map will aid out-of-state visitors who are traveling to Olympic sites.
However, she stressed that since the Olympic sites are permanent facilities, UDOT still plans for the map to have a long lifespan.
The publication also contains the first state highway map reference to the real-time traffic information available through www.utahcommuterlink.com.
In addition, Covington said this map is the first one to utilize cartography from a digital system, where map details can be saved for future maps or revisions.
"We are able to implement changes quickly through this system," she said.
The Olympic map was not printed in other languages because of the complexities of translation.
The layout of the new map is similar to its predecessor. It has a snowboarder on its cover, instead of the usual skier. Also, instead of highlighting a national park on its back cover, like Arches in the last state map, the latest map has a photo of Red Cliffs, located northeast of St. George.
The publication contains 2000 Census population figures and a small map on "Utah Special Highways" ? scenic byways, Veterans Memorial Highway, Bicentennial Highway and others.
The free road maps are available in limited quantities at Utah's five "Welcome Centers"; the Utah Travel Council at Council Hall, located south of the state Capitol; the Salt Palace tourist office; or any UDOT regional office. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee also has copies.
E-MAIL: lynn@desnews.com