Here’s why there are 263 miles of cables under the LDS Salt Lake Temple
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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an update on the progress of the renovation of its Salt Lake Temple — and shared that there are 263 miles of cables underneath the temple.
The cables — which the church said are post-tensioned cables — are being run through the concrete foundation of the temple to better equip the building for an earthquake. According to the church, the new “base isolation system” could help the temple withstand a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
“Post-tensioned cables are used to transfer the massive weight of the Temple from its existing foundation to the base isolators, which will move five feet in any direction (1.5 meters) in a severe seismic event,” the church said.
The first component of the “seismically designed” foundation was poured earlier in 2024, at the end of March and beginning of April. The concrete foundation is scheduled to be completed later in the summer.
The temple was first closed for renovations at the tail-end of 2019, with construction and renovations expected to last about four years. The renovations were set to replace mechanical and electrical systems in the building, in addition to making a “significant seismic upgrade” to the building.
After first being removed in May 2020, the golden statue of the Latter-day Saint prophet Angel Moroni was reinstalled on the spire of the temple earlier this year.
Also in 2024, several areas on Temple Square have reopened to the public, including the Main Street Plaza. As part of the construction project, crews are also constructing pavilions to help visitors better understand LDS temples, as well as two new entry buildings.