Tens of millions of dollars in flood control projects and a new bridge put in place after record flooding in November 2005 were put to the test in late December as winter rains deluged the Southern Utah city of St. George and smaller surrounding towns in Washington County. Starting around Dec. 21, heavy rains began swelling the Santa Clara and Virgin rivers. Local and state officials and engineers who had overseen about $75-million worth of work on new dykes, rechanneling and the $6.2-million replacement of a major connector bridge watched closely to see if their efforts had paid off. “I

Sometimes the reason for building green can run deeper than simply the desire to conserve resources, achieve LEED certification or reduce operating costs. They are also driven by a belief in stewardship. “We are entrusted with funds by our members and we have a responsibility to manage them the best we can,” says Jared Doxey, director of architecture, engineering and construction for the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We also have the responsibility to be good neighbors to the community and of all mankind and to be respectful of the Earth and its resources.” Mark

Planners in Springville and Spanish Fork, two communities about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City, are making improvements to ensure that electricity keeps flowing uninterrupted to meet current and future demand. Photo by Sohm Photografx Cache Valley Electric recently began work on the first in a series of upgrades to Springville Power’s Dry Creek Substation, which included line work and installation and commissioning of new transformers. The towns have had their own power generation and distribution networks since the early 1900s, with a combined power customer base of about 25,000. Those networks also serve the bedroom communities of the

The Komatsu name is a familiar one at mining operations and construction projects in the Intermountain West, and the Komatsu Equipment Co. of Salt Lake City intends to keep it that way. The firm, which has been in business for more than 50 years, opened its new headquarters in August. The $10.6-million, 102,000-sq-ft, two-story-tall headquarters is mostly occupied by 12 expansive service bays designed to keep everything from small skid loaders to gargantuan mining trucks in working order. The rest of the 11.5-acre site east of Bangerter Highway in Salt Lake City will be used for displaying and testing equipment.

North Temple Street in Salt Lake City is in the midst of a $250-million extreme makeover to prepare for an extension of the Utah Transit System’s TRAX light rail that will run 6 miles from the downtown Intermodal Transit Hub to Salt Lake City International airport. In addition to construction of the new light-rail line, Salt Lake City planners have taken the opportunity to install new utilities and make multiple other improvements to the street, including new lighting and sidewalks. North Temple serves as a main surface-street connection from the airport to the city but has long been a troubled