Construction has begun on the approximately 11-mile Savage Tooele Railroad (STR) in Utah, parent company Savage reported Nov. 7. The Surface Transportation Board on April 1 approved the new line, which will serve tenants of the Lakeview Business Park.
STR will re-establish a former branch line’s connection to Union Pacific’s (UP) Shafter Subdivision at Burmester, and link with the 1,700-acre master-planned logistics park in Grantsville (see map below). Park tenants are currently only able to receive and ship commodities by truck.
Lakeview Business Park is said to offer businesses adaptable build-to-suit or self-development options, plus direct truck connections to major arteries I-80 and I-15, as well as an interchange with UP, which will offer five-days-per-week service. It is located 20 minutes from UP’s Salt Lake City intermodal terminal and the Salt Lake City International Airport.
“We’re excited to start the construction of the STR rail line, and to safely and responsibly build and operate this new short line railroad in Tooele County,” Savage CEO Kirk Aubry said. “We appreciate the support of federal, state and local officials, our customers and partners, and everyone involved with this project.”
“The STR will significantly improve Lakeview Business Park’s connectivity and accessibility, strengthening its ability to support companies’ supply chain operations,” said Gus Gradinger, Vice President, Customer Led Development at Prologis, a Lakeview Business Park development partner along with The Romney Group. “With the park fully entitled, modern logistics and manufacturing facilities can be developed and delivered fast for a wide range of businesses.”
“Union Pacific is excited about our partnership with Savage and the opportunity to provide rail service to the Lakeview Business Park,” said Dan McLaughlin, Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Sales at UP. “Our 32,000-mile network, with its nine international gateways to Canada and Mexico, will provide new opportunities for market growth and expansion for those that choose to develop new warehouses, facilities and other businesses in the park. Congratulations to everyone working to make this project a success.”
“We are very pleased with the progress toward reactivating the Warner Spur between the Union Pacific Railroad main line near I-80 and Lakeview Business Park,” added Grantsville City Mayor Neil Critchlow. “We expect that positive economic development within Grantsville City and the greater Tooele County area will be accelerated, enhancing the opportunity for our residents to find employment close to home.”
According to Savage, the State Route 179, or the Midvalley Highway, project will boost access to Tooele County and Lakeview Business Park. “Extending from SR-36 south of Tooele to an interchange at Interstate 80, the project strategically enhances highway transportation routes, reducing commute times and expanding the labor pool accessible to the park,” reported the company, which noted that the project will link “key thoroughfares such as SR-112.”
Savage also reported that recent project announcements in Tooele County signal a “surge in economic growth and business investment”:
- Lineage Logistics is expanding in Grantsville, adding a 220,000-square-foot facility and up to 96 new jobs over the next five years.
- Leitner-Poma is establishing a new manufacturing facility in Tooele, investing more than $27 million, and creating up to 120 jobs.
- Minova plans to open a new manufacturing facility, projecting to add 58 new jobs and invest $24.5 million in Utah.
