SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City Council members may decide to shut down a street in Salt Lake City to prevent it from being used as an illegal dump site.
One of the last remote areas of the city at 7200 West, just south of Interstate 80, is a hot spot where people dump trash and hazardous materials. It's on the outskirts of town, a place many may not think is even part of the city.
“Yeah, Salt Lake City is big! It goes basically all the way until the lake and the mountains meet up at Tooele County,” said Salt Lake City Transportation Director Jon Larsen.
As growth and development keep moving west, undeveloped areas have shrunk.
"A lot it is toxic, it’s stuff that, I think they’re dumping it there because I don’t think they want to pay the extra fees to properly dispose of it at the landfill,” said Larsen.
Taxpayers are on the hook to pay city crews to clean up the mess. Last year approximately 250 tons of waste were collected, costing the city roughly $65,000.
It's rare for Salt Lake City transportation officials to close a street, but the proposal to close the stretch of 7200 West has been batted around for nearly two years.
“It’s kind of sending a message, letting people know, 'Hey, we see this and we’re going to deal with it and not gonna let it keep happening,'” explained Larsen.
People who have legitimate business being in the area will get keys to pass through locked gates.
“Union Pacific needs access, they have a rail Line through there," Larsen said. "And Rio Tinto Kennecott needs access there.
Council members may vote to close the road during a public hearing Tuesday. If it happens, crews could begin the process of closing the road in May, with a possible reopening to the public in March 2026.
