Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall is proposing to close two streets for seven months during the six-month open house for the Salt Lake Temple in 2027.
The last time the temple opened its doors to the public was 1893, and the mayor said the city estimated the remarkable opportunity to enter the pioneer-era icon will draw about 3.6 million people. The opening is tied to the completion of a seven-year renovation.
Mendenhall sent a proposed ordinance to the City Council on Thursday. Both the city and church said they want to protect pedestrians by closing down a single block west of the temple and one block north of Temple Square for seven months from March to October 2027.
The mayor’s spokesman said the proposal would reduce congestion, manage large pedestrian volumes and prevent accidents.
The church would lease the roads from the city for $2 million, the spokesman said. The church also would reimburse the city for additional law enforcement costs associated with protecting what in the proposal is called the Temple Reopening Celebration.
The proposal would close the following streets:
- West Temple, between North Temple and South Temple. This is the block between Temple Square and the Church History Library and FamilySearch Library.
- North Temple, between West Temple and Main Street. This is the block between the Conference Center and Temple Square.
The proposal was made after discussions between the church and the mayor’s office, police chief, fire chief, transportation team and the Utah Department of Transportation.
“Safety is our top priority,” church spokeswoman Candice Madsen said in a statement.
She said the church, city and state are developing comprehensive safety and security measures.
“These efforts are designed to ensure a memorable experience for visitors while minimizing the impact on the surrounding community,” she said.
Utah law allows cities to temporarily close roads if they believe it necessary to mitigate an unsafe condition. The city must hold a public hearing and notify UDOT. The City Council then must pass an ordinance.
“Based on anticipated attendance, event activities and traffic volume,” the city proposal states, “the street closures will support orderly crowd management, mitigate traffic congestion and allow for the proper placement of safety infrastructure such as barricades, emergency access, signage and accessibility accommodations.”
Securing visitors is vital, said the mayor’s spokesman, Andrew Wittenberg.
“Utah’s capital city is known for welcoming large-scale events — from the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to national festivals and conventions," he said in a statement. “In every case, Salt Lake City’s top priority is public safety, and the Salt Lake Temple Reopening Celebration is no exception.”
The Salt Lake Temple renovation is the biggest preservation project in history for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Tour buses annually bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Temple Square. Tour companies already are booking additional tours for the 2027 open house.
City and church plans call for a bus drop-off area behind the Church History Library.
A closure of West Temple on that block would create a pedestrian zone for those visitors to cross the street with no stopping for traffic and enter Temple Square for tours of the iconic temple.
Visitors then could visit the Conference Center by foot without crossing traffic, under the proposal.
That block of North Temple is closed at least two weekends a year for security and pedestrian-safety purposes as people cross the street between the Conference Center and Temple Square during the church’s semiannual general conferences.
Three other smaller closures are proposed for 2027:
- Westbound lane of South Temple between West Temple and Main Street. This is closest lane of traffic directly south of Temple Square.
- Soft closure of eastbound traffic on North Temple between 200 South and West Temple.
- Soft closure of northbound traffic on West Temple between North Temple and 200 North. This block runs along the west side of the Conference Center.
Salt Lake City regularly closes streets for major events.
Every Friday and Saturday afternoon and night in June, the city sponsors Open Streets by making Main Street a pedestrian-only zone between South Temple and 400 South. Open streets includes a restaurant row, entertainment and markets.
During the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, the city closed many streets. In one case, the city and church combined to turn a block-sized, church-owned parking lot into the Olympic Medals Plaza on the corner of South Temple and 300 West. The church donated the use of the parking lot and $5 million to transform it into the Medals Plaza.
Nearly 20,000 people visited the temporary plaza every night.
Additional street closures are expected when Salt Lake hosts portions of the 2034 Utah Olympic Winter Games.
Full statements from the mayor’s office and church
The full statements from the church and the mayor’s office are below.
The statement from Madsen, church spokeswoman:
“As previously announced, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will host a public open house between April and October of 2027 in celebration of the completion of the historic renovation of the Salt Lake Temple. The celebration will offer visitors from around the world the opportunity to tour the renovated temple interior prior to its dedication, along with other newly restored historic sites on Temple Square.
“Safety is our top priority. We are collaborating with the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office, as well as city and state departments to develop comprehensive safety and security measures. These efforts are designed to ensure a memorable experience for visitors while minimizing the impact on the surrounding community.
“To ensure safety and security for visitors and the community, the four-block area comprising Temple Square will be secured starting in March 2027 through October 2027, requiring certain temporary road closures. As required by city ordinance, the church will compensate Salt Lake City for such road closures, as well as reimburse the city for other associated incremental traffic and law enforcement costs related to the event.
“Plans are being developed to mitigate the impact on traffic including park-and-ride facilities west of the freeway on North Temple with regular shuttle service, complimentary UTA transit (buses, TRAX, and FrontRunner) for ticket holders.
“Additional details regarding the celebration, security arrangements, road closures, economic benefits to the city and community accommodations will be shared as planning progresses.
“All are welcome to join the historic Salt Lake Temple Celebration. Please visit TempleSquare.org to learn more.”
Full statement from Wittenberg, the mayor’s spokesman:
“Utah’s capital city is known for welcoming large-scale events — from the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to national festivals and conventions. In every case, Salt Lake City’s top priority is public safety, and the Salt Lake Temple Reopening Celebration is no exception.
“For the duration of the celebration, roughly from March through October 2027, the city aims to temporarily close select streets near Temple Square to vehicle traffic to reduce congestion, manage large pedestrian volumes and prevent accidents.
“The city expects the celebration to draw more than 20,000 visitors each day, generating significant economic activity throughout downtown. In accordance with standard fee guidelines, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will compensate Salt Lake City more than $2 million for the temporary lease of the affected roadways, which will be reinvested into the city. The church has also committed to providing alternative transportation options to help reduce traffic impacts for residents, workers and visitors.”