Hitt Road construction closure and impact
We’ve all noticed the construction around town. Either late tonight or early tomorrow morning, the Hitt and Lincoln Road intersection will be closed for construction. The intersection will be closed for the next nine to 10 days as they get ready to put in a roundabout.
The construction is impacting traffic and some local businesses, some negatively.
“Since the construction has started since we’re a new business we have felt like our customers, we have moms who are usually on a schedule to get home for a nap, or lunch. And we have a lot of people who come in from Iona so we have received quite a bit of complaint that it’s been harder to access our business,” says Lauren Tatton, owner of Kids Town.
Some positively or maybe not at all.
“I think it’s possible that because of those that are trying to avoid the intersection and taking the detour to go around that we actually may be seeing more traffic by the business than we ever had before. So there may be some that didn’t know we were here that may be driving by,” says Ammon Hartner, owner of The Edge Climbing Gym.
“I don’t think we’ve seen too many downfalls of it, because as rock climbers we’re kind of used to driving on dirt roads so we’re known to be more dedicated to the sport so I think anyone that comes here as a full member will kind of tough it out anyway,” says Eric Browning, manager at The Edge Climbing Gym.
The road will be closed since they say it’s safer that way and will ultimately be faster.
“There will still be accesses to all of the business and of course the residences along there. Alternate routes are woodruff and Ammon Road. So people can get to where they need to be, it will be a little out of their way. We understand that but by doing it this way we’re actually minimizing the construction by getting it done quickly rather than just having it partially closed for several weeks or months at a time,” says Michael Arneson, Project Manager.
“I’m excited that they’re still going to allow access to our business and we will stay open through the construction. The fact that it will be done sooner is also really exciting to us,” says Tatton.
And they say it’s for the greater good.
“Part of the development of the project we studied a roundabout, we also studied a signal. And the roundabout performs better long term, it handles traffic better in that location and it also has lower life-cycle costs so overtime the county will spend less money maintaining it and operating it,” says Arneson.
“It is an inconvenience now, but I think in the long run it’s going to be great. The other construction projects they’ve done recently in the city have turned out really really well. So, we’re really hopeful that when it’s all finished it will be much better than it ever was,” says Hartner.
There will be more constriction further down Lincoln Road. The intersection of Ammon and Lincoln road will be closed either the end of August or early September for roundabout construction there.
The mile of Lincoln Road between Hitt and Ammon will be closed for a few months just open to residences and businesses as well because that whole mile is getting turned to five lanes.
