Salt Lake Temple renovation update: Removing stones and preparing for a tunnel

5 Feb 2021, 4:12 p.m. MST

On the Salt Lake Temple's southwest corner, shoring and excavation for a worker and material lift was completed in January 2021. The shoring will help protect the temple's foundation and the lift will allow for easier access of workers and materials into the temple’s upper floors. Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Stones along the upper walls of the Salt Lake Temple were removed for cleaning and repair as work continued January on the temple’s ongoing renovation project.

Also, preparations are being made for a tunnel under North Temple Street and for a worker and material lift on the temple’s southwest corner, according to a Feb. 5 update on Newsroom.

The stones are lifted off with a crane, placed on the ground and then labeled. They will also be put in storage, cleaned and repaired before returning to their original places on the temple’s upper walls.

Stones on top of the upper walls of the temple were removed in January 2021 as part of the Salt Lake Temple renovation project in Salt Lake City, Utah. The stones were lifted off with a crane, placed on the ground and labeled. They will be cleaned and repaired before returning to their original places on the temple. | Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Crews have also been doing work to prepare for a tunnel that will run under North Temple from the Conference Center’s parking to a future underground entrance for the temple. This work includes drilling canopy tubes that form shoring support, according to the update.

For the worker and material lift on the temple’s southwest corner, the shoring and worker excavation have been completed. The shoring will help protect the temple’s foundation, and the lift will help with access for workers and materials to the temple’s upper floors.

More permanent fencing has been installed to replace the initial temporary fencing.

The Salt Lake Temple renovation project was announced in April 2019 and began at the end of December 2019. It is expected to take four years.

Photo gallery: Angel Moroni statue, capstone removed from Salt Lake Temple for repair, renovation

Work has recently begun on the Church Office Building Plaza renovation. The plaza renovation includes a new water-proofing system, removing the circular fountain and creating green space and gardens. The system for circulating the water and the concrete deck have been leaking, which is a hazard for the underground parking.

On Feb. 1, the mid-block crosswalk on South Temple Street that crosses from the plaza to City Creek closed. And it will likely be closed for the duration of the project, according to a Newsroom release. The crosswalks at Main Street and State Street are still open.

The plaza renovation is expected to last about 18 months.