What General Conference Visitors Will See with Temple Square Construction

Construction on the Salt Lake Temple and surrounding Temple Square of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continues to move forward.

A piece of brilliant engineering took place on the fourth and fifth floors of the temple. Around 200,000 pounds of steel beams were temporarily installed to shore up the walls and floor on the fourth level of the structure.

Fifty-thousand-ton hydraulic jacks, along with a hydraulic manifold system, were installed on the beams. The weight bearing on the pioneer temple walls was transferred to this steel system while retrofitting of the seismic upgrade that took place on the floors below.

Watch the video, “Builders of the Temple: Steel Workers,” to learn how this amazing feat was pulled off.

On the north side of the temple, most concrete walls on the north addition have been poured. This area will accommodate three underground floors for two baptismal fonts, additional sealing rooms, dressing rooms and other administrative needs.

Inside the north addition, the walls are being framed, and mechanical, electrical, fire suppression and plumbing systems are being installed. Finish work is expected to begin in 2024.

Download Photo

The stem walls for the above-ground temple entrance on the northwest side are also complete. The east stem walls are expected to be completed in the next month.

Construction has also begun on the plaza, or ground, level of the South Pavilions, with crews working on the above-ground structures.

Download Photo

Approximately 54,000 yards of concrete have been poured, which is more than 50% of the total concrete required for the project.

On the east side of the temple, 94 of the 98 base isolators are in place inside and outside of the temple. 

Transfer girders, which are 15 feet tall by 15 feet wide and made of reinforced concrete, will rest on top of the base isolators. The weight of the Salt Lake Temple will be transferred through the transfer girders to the base isolators, which are resting on the new lower footings. 

Download Photo

In May, the first of six steel spire structures was installed on the northwest side of the temple. Only one more placement remains.

Crews are beginning to reinstall the stone on the towers — a process which included carefully removing, cataloging, cleaning, and repairing stones before reinstallation.

Download Photo

On the northwest side of Temple Square, crews have started landscaping as well as placing stones for some of the wall sections. The work is in preparation for the reopening of that area, which is planned for January 2024.

Download Photo

To read more about the process and view all updates, visit TempleSquare.org.