The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has an ongoing construction project on US Highway 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon. This highway parallels The UP (ex D&RGW) Provo sub up and over Soldier Summit. This highway has the reputation of being one of the most dangerous in the state. The project is widening, straightening, improving signage and constructing deer fencing along the highway. In the process, the construction destroyed an existing rest area at Tucker, once a narrow gauge helper station. The old rest area was replaced with this one, called Tie Fork about 1 mile further west. It is designed with a railroad theme. The main building looks something like an old depot and in back there is a very nice covered picnic area with benches and tables built in an arc shape to resemble a roundhouse. There is a very small replica water tank and on the right side, nearly hidden, is an atrocious replica of a steam locomotive. Overall the effect is very nice. Here is the setting with BNSF’s daily trackage rights train the QDVPVJ-14 descending westbound on the high fill behind the rest area.
