It was to be a quick scoot underneath Kearns Boulevard for many of the students headed to school on the first day of classes in the Park City School District.

the Aug. 26 start of the school year, City Hall had anticipated opening a new pedestrian-bicyclist tunnel that would offer a safe passage between the south side of Kearns Boulevard, where many students live, and the schools campus on the other side.

But the project was delayed early on, and the crews were unable to catch up. More than six weeks into the school year, the tunnel, trumpeted as one of the most important projects to be financed with funds raised through a ballot measure to upgrade pedestrian and bicyclist routes, remains unfinished. City Hall officials now expect it to be ready on Nov. 4.

Matt Cassel, the Park City engineer and the official who has overseen the work, acknowledged on Monday the Nov. 4 opening date would be 10 weeks behind schedule. He said utility work hampered the work crews while contaminated soils were problematic to the timeline as well.

The workers still need to put down asphalt walkways into and out of the tunnel, which was scheduled on Tuesday. They also need to install handrails and guardrails. An irrigation system, landscaping and sod work remained on the unfinished checklist early on the week as well.

“Everything is done other than those small items,” Cassel said.

The tunnel work has stretched from last spring and the early weeks were marred by the collapse of a trench wall that trapped a worker in the dirt and required rescue workers to dig him out. The work has been especially frustrating for commuters on Kearns Boulevard, who have faced long delays as they head into Park City in the morning.

The tunnel will measure between 110 and 120 feet long, and it is 9 feet tall and 12 feet wide. It is approximately 16 feet below the road. Cassel said the work is anticipated to cost approximately $1.8 million, with the figure also including the design costs and the management of the project. The number is well below the budgeted price tag of $3 million. The site remains protected by construction fencing.

“Everyone just kind of wants it to be open by now,” Cassel said, adding that he is not aware of anyone attempting to climb over the fence to get into the tunnel.

The Kearns Boulevard tunnel is seen as one of the most anticipated pedestrian-bicylist upgrades built in years, with many people saying the students will be much safer as they head to and from school. The students crossing to the schools or from the campus to Prospector must now do so on Kearns Boulevard, one of the busiest streets in Summit County. There have long been fears that a driver might hit a student crossing Kearns Boulevard.

The tunnel is one of two under construction in Park City, with the other one situated underneath Bonanza Drive close to the Rail Trail crossing. The Bonanaza Drive tunnel, also to serve pedestrians and bicyclists, is scheduled to open in early November, and the city engineer said the work is nearly on schedule. The money raised through the ballot measure is also funding the Bonanza Drive tunnel.

Voters who cast ballots in favor of the ballot measure, which gave City Hall $15 million to put toward the upgrades, were worried about pedestrian-bicyclist safety throughout Park City. They also agreed with the idea that the upgrades could influence people to walk or bicycle instead of driving, reducing traffic

Jennifer Barker, the president of the parent-teacher organization at McPolin Elementary School, one of the schools served by the tunnel, said the tunnel will keep the students safe. She also commends the work of the crossing guards who currently lead the students across Kearns Boulevard.

“It will make things a lot smoother. It will be a nice transition,” she said.