Syracuse » There's been talk of building a highway running up the west side of Davis and Weber counties for "forever," said Glen Baker.
The Clinton resident has lived in the area for about four decades, and he hopes a Utah Department of Transportation's study finally results in a western alternative to Interstate 15. It takes Baker 30 minutes to get on I-15 from his home because of the traffic.
"This area is building up so fast that there has to be a way through," said Baker, who attended first of three open houses UDOT is hosting to talk to residents about the needs for a corridor in the area. Tuesday's discussion took place at Syracuse High School.
The West Davis Corridor study would likely not be completed until 2012 or 2013, and is in its preliminary stages of identifying a possible alignment and the type of roadway that would be built, if one is found to be needed.
"We always want public input, and we rely on that to understand the challenges," said UDOT project manager Randy Jefferies.
The area being studied is west of I-15, stretching from Centerville to 12th Street in Ogden.
Davis County and several cities have bought property along a possible "Legacy North" extension of Legacy Parkway in southern Davis County. And a Legacy-like roadway is what some people at the open house pushed for.
The lack of billboards, the trails and low-environmental impact of Legacy Parkway would be nice to have extended further north, said Layton resident Stan Booth, noting the wetlands in the western-most areas.
"I'm all for -- if they're going to put the roads in and they need it -- to put the roads in right," Booth said, adding "I have to applaud Rocky Anderson," the former Salt Lake City mayor, for the legal battle he and eco-groups waged against UDOT and builders over environmental concerns with the Legacy Parkway.
But others remember Anderson in a negative light. By West Point resident Margaret Williams' account, all that money was "wasted" in litigation and could have been used build a longer Legacy Parkway.
Such a road would make it easier to visit her family in West Valley City and Harrisville.
"They should have built it a long time ago," Williams said.
The Utah Department of Transportation is evaluating the transportation needs in Davis and Weber counties west of Interstate 15. Open houses will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. today at the Legacy Events Center, 151 S. 1100 West, Farmington; and Thursday at West Weber Elementary School, 4178 W. 900 South, Ogden. More information is available at www.udot.utah.gov/westdavis.
