China Bridge replacement emerges as key question in Main Street planning

A wall of the China Bridge parking structure that exhibited global failure according to a 2024 report from Park City staff. Photo: Park City Municipal

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City leaders are taking another look at the future of Main Street, and the aging China Bridge parking structure is being discussed a key factor in what comes next.

During a work session on Thursday, August 20, the Park City Council discussed how to move forward after a broader Main Street Area Plan was presented in 2024 but never adopted. Since then, city staff has completed preliminary feasibility work on several individual pieces of the plan, including Main Street circulation and pedestrian improvements, Swede Alley upgrades, and aerial transit using a gondola.

Council members generally supported bringing those efforts back together into a more coordinated approach, while continuing to study aerial transit on a separate but related track.

The first major question, several council members said, is what to do about the China Bridge parking structure, which has required ongoing repairs as it ages.

Councilor Bill Ciraco said the city should proactively plan for the structure’s eventual replacement and consider whether redevelopment could help offset the cost.

“If we have to tear down China Bridge and rebuild even just a parking garage, there’s going to be massive impact,” Ciraco said, adding that the city would need a “rock solid plan” to mitigate the loss of parking during construction.

The discussion also reopened the door to concepts that were deferred when the original Main Street Area Plan was not adopted. Those could include redevelopment along Swede Alley and improvements to public spaces.

Council members also raised the potential need to address the Old Town Transit Center, City Hall space needs, and assistance for Main Street businesses affected by future construction.

Staff presented updated data showing that Main Street visitation and inflation-adjusted spending per visit have declined in recent years, adding urgency to the conversation about how the city can maintain the historic district’s competitiveness as development and commercial activity expand in the surrounding area.

No final plan was adopted during the work session, but the discussion gave staff direction to continue developing a coordinated framework and consider how China Bridge, redevelopment, and aerial transit could fit together as the city plans the next chapter for Main Street.