FHWA-HRT-23-060 

HRDI-20/05-23(WEB)E

Office of Research, 

Development, and Technology

Office of Infrastructure 

Research and Development

Turner-Fairbank Highway 

Research Center

6300 Georgetown Pike

McLean, VA 22101-2296

https://highways.dot.gov/research

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

infrastructure/

construction costs

CASE STUDY

Complete Streets Construction 

Cost Case Study: 300 West 

Street Reconstruction Project, 

Salt Lake City, UT

Location: Salt Lake City, UT (40.74 N, 111.90 W)

Project Length: 1.7 mi

Project Duration: June 2019–October 2022 (40 mo)1

Problem Statement

The 1.7-mi stretch of 300 West Street between 900 South Street and 2100 

South Street1

 in Salt Lake City is a highly traveled road that had mobility and 

safety challenges for all users. Challenges included intermittent sidewalks in 

a poor state of repair, with obstructions such as light poles and fire hydrants 

in the right-of-way (a hinderance to assistive-mobility users); an absence of 

bicycle lanes; and a lack of amenities and landscaping. Mobility and safety 

challenges created an inaccessible and unsafe experience for nonmotorists 

and contributed to a lack of cohesive community character. A significant 

percentage of the roadway pavement was in poor condition. Lighting 

inadequacies were outside the scope of this project because lighting is not 

under the purview of the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT).

Project Context 

The project involves a 1.7-mi section of 300 West Street with annual average 

daily traffic of approximately 21,000 vehicles (in 2021). A major freeway 

corridor (I–15 and I–80) runs parallel to 300 West Street. Within the project 

limits, there are two freeway interchanges to the west at 2100 South Street and 

1300 South Street. Prior to the Complete Street project, the roadway had four 

to six 12-ft travel lanes (two or three in each direction); intermittent shoulders; 

and on-street, parallel parking on both sides of the roadway. The curb-to-curb 

right-of-way (ROW) width is approximately 80 ft. Although the posted 

speed limit was 35 mph, most vehicles traveled at 40 mph or more. Transit 

buses use the roadway, and a transit rail line runs parallel to the roadway one 

block to the east.

1 Salt Lake City applies the same cardinal direction name to many streets (e.g., many streets are 

named South Street or West Street) and differentiates the streets by adding a number preceding 

the cardinal direction name (e.g., 900 South Street, 2100 South Street).

Modal Focus (check all that apply):

F Pedestrians F Transit users

F Bicyclists F Freight providers

F Micromobility users F Motorists

✓ ✓

✓

✓

© 2023 Salt Lake City. 
2

Context refers to the built environment within which the 

roadway is located. The road was built in the early 1970s 

to accommodate freight vehicles servicing manufacturing 

shops, but restaurants, brew pubs, big-box stores, and strip 

malls have developed along the roadway. The city had 

not modified the roadway to reflect the change in use. The 

roadway lacked the active transportation infrastructure 

necessary to serve the pedestrians, bicyclists, transit 

users, and motorists who live nearby and patronize the 

businesses. The American Association of State Highway 

and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) A Policy on 

Geometric Design of Highways and Streets: The Green 

Book, 7th Edition provides information about traditional 

functional classifications for roadways as well as context 

classifications.(1)

 For this project, the roadway context is 

urban, and the functional classification is arterial. Figure 1

presents a map of the project location.

Community Engagement Summary

The city designed the 300 West Street Reconstruction 

project (from 2100 South Street to 900 South Street) 

in accordance with Salt Lake City’s Complete Streets 

ordinance, local plans, and public input obtained in 2019 

and early 2020.(3,4)

 Community engagement involved 

focus groups, online and pedestrian intercept surveys, and 

workshops. Feedback from the community highlighted 

inadequate sidewalks and crosswalks, aggressive driving 

at high speeds (e.g., frequent passing, passing on the 

right), an absence of bicycle lanes, deteriorated pavement 

surfaces, and a generally unattractive roadway. The city 

used this feedback to develop draft improvement plans 

and designs that were subjected to further public scrutiny 

and updates as the project progressed. The International 

Figure 1. Map. Location of 300 West Street 

Reconstruction project.(2)

Original map: © 2022 Google® My MapsTM. 

Modified by FHWA (see Acknowledgement section).

Association for Public Participation (IAP2) awarded the 

outreach for the project an IAP2 Core Value Award at 

the association’s United States and Canada conference 

in 2021.(5)

Project Improvements

Table 1 contains a detailed summary of project 

improvements. Figure 2 and figure 3 present the before 

and after improvement photos from a roadway segment 

on 300 West Street (between 900 South Street and 

2100 South Street).

Table 1. Project improvements.

Problem Description of Improvements

Intermittent sidewalks in a poor state of repair with 

obstructions in the ROW.

Sidewalks reconstructed and widened to 6 ft on both sides of the roadway, 

raised to separate pedestrians from vehicle traffic, buffered from the roadway 

travel lanes by new landscaping, and curb ramps with detectable warning 

surfaces that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).(6)

Inadequate crosswalk facilities for all users.

At-grade, ADA-compliant crosswalks with accessible pedestrian signals; dual 

radius corner islands at signalized intersections (protected intersections); and 

new midblock crossings with refuge islands and pedestrian hybrid beacons.

Absence of bicycle lanes.

A 10-ft, grade-separated, two-way bicycle lane on one side of the street, raised 

to separate bicyclists from vehicle traffic, buffered from the roadway travel 

lanes by new landscaping.

High driveway density leading to points of conflict 

and congestion.

Existing roadway configuration repurposed into four 11-ft travel lanes (two in 

each direction) and one 12-ft center turn lane, which reduced vehicle operating 

speeds and provided a safer environment for merging traffic on the roadway 

and incoming vehicles from driveways.
3

Table 1. Project improvements (continued).

Problem Description of Improvements

Inadequate transit facilities. Bus stops with highly durable surfacing to facilitate bus transit.

Lack of amenities and landscaping.

Landscaping strips, drought-resistant tree canopy and vegetation, and 

water-wise landscaping improved environmental and aesthetic quality. 

Improved stormwater drainage by upgrading drainage systems, curb and 

gutter, and bioretention systems.

Note: This project did not specifically address potential inadequacies with lighting throughout the project area because, in Salt Lake City, lighting 

is the responsibility of an agency outside the city DOT. However, spot improvements, such as relocating light poles and providing a conduit for 

future lighting, were done as part of this project.

Figure 2. Photo. A roadway segment on 300 West 

Street before improvement.

© 2023 Salt Lake City.

These images are intended to be examples of real-world, existing conditions; 

the conditions shown in the photos are not limited to best practices, approved 

designs, or approved behaviors, and may reflect conditions that are 

not recommended.

Figure 3. Photo. A roadway segment on 300 West 

Street after improvement.

© 2023 Salt Lake City.

These images are intended to be examples of real-world, existing conditions; 

the conditions shown in the photos are not limited to best practices, approved 

designs, or approved behaviors, and may reflect conditions that are 

not recommended.

Project Results

Feedback from users and community members since 

completion of the first phases of this project indicates 

general satisfaction with the enhancements in safety, 

mobility, aesthetics, and comfort. The road diet decreased 

vehicle speeds and shortened the crossing distance for 

pedestrians and bicyclists. Raised sidewalks and bicycle 

lanes improved user visibility and safety. The landscape 

strips, tree canopy, and drought-resistant landscaping 

served as a buffer between vehicles and active 

transportation users and improved the environment.

Project Funding Sources

• State: Class C Road Funds.2 (7)

• Local:

○ Local bond.

○ Impact fees.

○ Public utilities (water, storm drain, sewer).

2

 The Utah Legislature established the Class B and C 300 system funding program in 1937 as a means of aiding counties and incorporated 

municipalities for the improvement of roads and streets throughout the State. The funds differ from ordinary local revenues because they are subject 

to administrative direction by the State. The Utah DOT is the administrative authority on behalf of the State.

Project Delivery Mechanism

F Alliance 

contracting/ 

integrated project 

delivery (IPD)

F Construction manager/

general contractor 

(CM/GC)

F Progressive 

design-build (PBD)

F Public-private 

partnership (P3)

F Design-build (D-B) F Project bundling

F Design-bidbuild (D-B-B)F Indefinite delivery/

indefinite quantity (IDIQ) 

✓
4

Acknowledgment

The map in figure 1 was modified by the authors to 

mark the path of the 300 West Street Reconstruction 

project location in Salt Lake City. The original map is 

the copyright property of Google® My MapsTM and 

can be accessed at https://www.google.com/maps/plac

e/40%C2%B044’24.0%22N+111%C2%B054’00.0%2

2W/@40.7368984,-111.9028431,15.25z/.

(2)

References

1. AASHTO. 2018. A Policy on Geometric Design of 

Highways and Streets: The Green Book, 7th Edition. 

Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway 

and Transportation Officials.

2. Google®. 2022. Google® My MapsTM, Mountain View, 

CA, obtained from https://www.google.com/maps/d/, last 

accessed September 13, 2022.

3. Salt Lake City, UT. n.d. “300 West: 900 South 

to 2100 South” (web page). https://www.slc.gov/

mystreet/300west/, last accessed May 30, 2022.

4. Salt Lake City, UT. 2010. “Accommodation 

of Bicyclists and Pedestrians at All City Owned 

Transportation Facilities in the Public Right of Way.” 

Chapter 14.06. Complete-Streets-Ordinance.pdf (slc.gov), 

last accessed February 7, 2023.

5. International Association for Public Participation 

(IAP2). 2021. “A Celebration of Excellence in Public 

Participation: The IAP2 USA Core Values Awards” 

(web page) https://iap2usa.org/2021cva, last accessed 

February 7, 2023.

6. Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. 1990. Public 

Law 101-336. 108th Congress, 2nd session. https://www.

govinfo.gov/app/details/CREC-2002-01-29/CREC-2002-

01-29-pt1-PgS222, last accessed February 6, 2023.

7. Utah DOT. n.d. “Local Government Program 

Assistance” (web page). https://www.udot.utah.gov/

connect/business/public-entities/local-governmentprogram-assistance/, last accessed February 7, 2023.

Project Costs*

Total Project Costs – $18,678,459

Construction

• Mobilization – $2,095,550

• Traffic control (upgrade signal 

and detection) – $978,514

• Roadway construction and related 

activities – $7,397,234

• Lighting (furnish and install street 

lighting) – $224,476 ($37,412 each)

• Concrete sidewalk – $442,600 ($5 per sq ft)

• Curb ramps (with detectable warning 

surface) – $156,600 ($2,610 per sq ft)

• Pedestrian hybrid beacons – $238,754 

(4 units at $59,688 per unit)

• Pedestrian crossing improvements 

(crosswalks, refuge islands) – $176,400

• Road diet (lane striping and markings) – $106,534

• Concrete bicycle lane (colored) – $920,000 

($12 per sq ft)

• Drainage – $2,008,065

• Landscaping (irrigation system, planting, 

cobble rock, crushed rock) – $893,525

Project Website

https://www.slc.gov/mystreet/300west/(3)

Utility Adjustments

$262,000

Right-of-Way

$0

Preliminary Engineering

$2,778,207

Recommended citation: Federal Highway Administration, Complete Streets Construction 

Cost Case Study: 300 West Street Reconstruction Project, Salt Lake City, UT

(Washington, DC: 2023) https://doi.org/10.21949/1522005.

*Project costs include improvements that benefit mobility in general and may have been necessary regardless of any safety improvements.