Mapleton trail connection moves toward construction after $13 million state grant

Mapleton received a $13 million state grant for the River Trail Bridge Connection, a planned project that would add both a vehicle bridge and a trail bridge between Mapleton and Spanish Fork.

The project is intended to connect Spanish Fork’s trail system with Mapleton’s trails and the broader Bonneville Shoreline Trail network. Its trail route would pass beneath Highway 6, giving people walking, running or riding a separated crossing instead of requiring them to cross the highway at grade.

A connection for trails and vehicles

Mapleton City Council minutes adopted May 5, 2026, describe Mapleton as one endpoint of the River Trail Bridge Connection. The planned trail link would extend beyond a city-to-city segment by tying local routes to a larger regional trail network.

The project also includes a vehicle bridge, creating a new transportation connection between Mapleton and Spanish Fork. That combination makes the proposal broader than a recreational trail improvement: it is planned as both a roadway link and a safer route for trail users moving through the Highway 6 corridor.

The grant is a significant funding step, but construction has not been reported as underway. The city minutes say the work is expected to be completed over multiple years. Mapleton has not provided a final construction schedule or completion date in the cited council record.

The minutes also do not identify the state grant program or the project’s total cost. The $13 million figure is the grant amount for the project; it is not identified as an allocation solely for the trail bridge.

Separate road work in Mapleton’s 2026 program

Mapleton’s transportation planning also includes other infrastructure work. A 2026 Mapleton City Council meeting notice included a proposed $501,010 contract with Geneva Rock for the Micro Seal Project.

That proposed contract is separate from the River Trail Bridge Connection. The micro-seal work concerns Mapleton’s road-related program, while the bridge project combines a vehicle crossing with a regional trail connection involving Mapleton and Spanish Fork.

For residents, trail users and drivers, the next concrete project details will be the design milestones, construction timing and the full cost of the bridge connection. The grant establishes funding support for a multi-year effort that would improve movement across Highway 6, connect local trails and add a transportation link between the two communities.