Park City Begins Undergrounding Power Lines Along Kearns Boulevard This Summer

Park City Municipal and Rocky Mountain Power begin burying high-voltage transmission lines above Kearns Boulevard tomorrow, narrowing S.R. 236 to a single eastbound lane as the opening move of a $7 million infrastructure project the City Council approved in 2024.

City Engineer John Robertson outlined the construction sequence on KPCW this week. "Essentially, what we're doing is installing large conduits in the roadway that will eventually carry all the high wire transmission power lines that we have going over the city," he said. The current overhead lines run from the Rocky Mountain Power substation near Munchkin Road and Woodbine Way, across Kearns Boulevard, to the Park City Cemetery and Boot Hill.

The lane restrictions on Kearns will shift by the week. Through April 12, westbound traffic is detoured at the intersection of Kearns Boulevard and Bonanza Drive, with one eastbound lane open from Woodbine Way to S.R. 224. Starting April 13, that pattern reverses: eastbound traffic is detoured at Park Avenue, with one westbound lane through. From April 20 through May 15, Kearns runs one lane each direction between Park Avenue and Bonanza Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Repaving follows May 18 through 22. Construction shifts to Woodbine Way in July, with substation work continuing through August and September. The Snow Creek shopping center will remain accessible throughout.

Robertson called the disruption a fair trade. "This is an important long-term investment in Park City's infrastructure, and we know the work this spring will require some patience from drivers and neighbors."

Phase 1, covering conduit installation, is scheduled to finish in October 2026. Phase 2, which activates the underground lines and removes the existing towers, is expected to wrap in late spring 2027. The project is one component of Rocky Mountain Power's Park City System Resiliency program, which has been undergrounding distribution and transmission lines across Summit County to reduce wildfire risk.

The development stakes are equally significant. The overhead lines have imposed a 60-foot aerial easement on the Bonanza Park 5-Acre Site at the corner of Bonanza Drive and Kearns Boulevard, a parcel the city purchased in 2017 for what it then imagined would be an arts district. Councilmember Bill Ciraco put the economic case directly: "There's a 60-foot easement that we can't infringe upon with any development on the surface where those power lines are. From an economic standpoint, it's a pretty compelling investment to get those power lines out of that way."

With the easement gone, Brinshore Development, LLC is pursuing a mixed-use project on the 5-acre site. Updated plans from March 2026 call for six three-story buildings with approximately 106 units and between 250 and 300 underground parking spaces. The Utah Housing Commission is expected to contribute roughly $60 million through low-income housing tax credits.

The least expected benefit may be at the Park City Cemetery. Deputy City Manager Jen McGrath noted in 2024 planning discussions that burying the lines "creates more than 40 burial plots at the cemetery, which is currently maxed out," while also removing transmission infrastructure from Boot Hill.

Councilmember Jeremy Rubell has long flagged relocating the Bonanza Park substation as a broader city goal. Burying the transmission lines this year puts that conversation on firmer ground.