West Valley fears effects of west-side freeway
Back then it was touted as the most significant road to be built in the valley since I-15. Yet the highway came as a mixed blessing.
The combination of wide lanes and intermittent stoplight intersections has served as a source of many accidents and pedestrian issues over the years.
"We feel like we have not been in the loop before and decisions have been made without us," Peterson said.
Fast forward to plans for the Mountain View corridor and for some city officials, it almost feels like deja vu.
"Our first reaction is, 'Oh no, not another major highway through our city that will bifurcate it,' " Peterson said.
State transportation officials assure that Mountain View will not be another Bangerter Highway. Both the Utah Department of Transportation and city officials agree that a western highway will be critical to the explosive growth on the valley's west side.
Mayor Dennis Nordfelt said having a western freeway is critical, given projections that show a looming traffic crisis on the Salt Lake Valley's west side.
Funding is also a concern. "The bottom line is, how are we going to pay for whatever it turns out to be," Nordfelt said. Being vice chairman of the Wasatch Front Regional Council's transportation subcommittee, Nordfelt said there is funding for the freeway's environmental impact study but not enough to actually get the freeway built. That combined with the fact that the Legislature yanked funding to widen 3500 South, an important east-west corridor for West Valley City, this year has the mayor concerned.
Nordfelt said residents will have to make some difficult decisions in the coming years. Among them is the 5-cent-per-gallon gas tax needed to fund future transportation projects, such as Mountain View.
UDOT has several proposed routes through West Valley City, but city officials say each route has difficulties that must be overcome.
One proposal would have the freeway beginning at 5600 West from the north and running south at about 5800 West, veering further west at 4700 South where it would tie into the Taylorsville section.
Another proposal would put the freeway farther south along 7200 West, near West Valley City's western border.
The 7200 West alignment would take the corridor through the Hunter Subdivision, one of the nicest residential areas, said city administrator Wayne Pyle. For a while, the option was not possible due to the fact that the south part ventured into Alliant Techsystems' property. Recently the company has given the OK to build through their land.
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