PLEASANT GROVE — It takes more than money and cement to build a $16 million freeway interchange.
In the case of the new Pleasant Grove/Lindon Exit 278, it took 14 years and countless meetings between the local mayors, council members and city staffers with transportation, legislative and funding officials.
It took just a whole lot of sheer grit and raw courage, said former Mayor Ed Sanderson.
"We've fought long and hard for this. If I upset anybody along the way, then I'm sorry, but it's so nice to have this," said Sanderson, waiting in the sunshine Monday morning for police motorcycles to break the banner to officially open the interchange for public use.
"It's way overdue. It takes the pressure off 500 East in American Fork. It opens up the whole north end. You can now get off and drive straight into Pleasant Grove and not into American Fork, that's the best part," he said.
State Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, said the interchange was one of the first things he started to fight for after he was elected 14 years ago.
"I met with the citizens of Pleasant Grove who told me they did not want to be a backwater, bedroom community. I promised them I would help," Valentine said.
But politics and preparations for the 2002 Winter Games and an Environmental Protection Agency restriction on new building due to Utah County's noncompliance status delayed the interchange.
It wasn't until Centennial Road funds became available after 1995 that it started to look possible.
Even then, it was touch and go as the cities scrambled to get an environmental study completed before the building ban went into effect and a risk taking time for Lindon and Pleasant Grove as they decided to front the expenses on their own instead of waiting for state funds.
"They've all been reimbursed now and so we can go forward with building the connector roads (to 2000 West in American Fork and State Street in Lindon)," said Valentine. "That's why I'm sitting here all smiles."
"This will help bring all of north Utah County together," said Sanderson.
Pleasant Grove's current mayor Jim Danklef said he and his council is certainly reaping the benefits of the work of many who've gone before.
He credited former Mayor Lloyd Ash with having the foresight to move on the environmental impact study in a timely fashion and Mayor Sanderson with pushing for the funding despite a series of discouraging setbacks.
"Pleasant Grove feels this is a great day for us. There's always good economic development around freeway exits. We're a little behind, but this has already spurred the Macey's development at the end of Pleasant Grove Boulevard," he said.
"The access is important for Pleasant Grove."
Lindon Mayor Larry Ellertson said he's proud of the partnership effort and happy to be part of something that will benefit all of the northeastern communities, including Orem.
"This is a magnificent structure but only the beginning of an effort to meet long range needs in north Utah County," said Hal Clyde of the Utah Transportation Commission.
John Njord, representing the Utah Department of Transportation, said he isn't mystified at the slowdown of traffic as people have passed the project.
"Anyone of us that are kids who've played with our Tonka trucks in the sandbox like to watch progress like this," Njord said.
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