East Parkway Corridor project tabled after recent city council meeting
REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) - At the Rexburg City Council meeting on Sept. 6, concerned citizens voiced their concerns over the East Parkway Corridor. After listening to the concerns of the public, the city council voted to table the project for now.
Members of the public voiced their concerns about property values going down and safety concerns in their neighborhoods if a major roadway is put in.
"We're plenty willing to take a look at all the options and alternatives and safety measures that we can to try to make things as safe as we can. Our concern is for the safety of our citizens, the safety of the drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and people in the neighborhood," Rexburg City Mayor Jerry Merrill said.
Mayor Merrill said the East Parkway Corridor is just a small part of the future of Transportation in the city. As they look to ease some of the congestion that the city has dealt with on South 2nd East, one of the city's main arteries. The area that is causing so much concern, is near Sunrise Drive and Millhollow Road. However, the corridor isn't the only option for the city as they look at other options.
"Second East does get very congested. It's it's the only bridge over the river, you know, going out to the north, you know, on our north-south routes. And so we're looking at a lot of options, as you know, not only the Parkway corridor but also looking at extending 5th west out over the river," Mayor Merrill said.
But the future of Rexburg transportation won't just rely on the East Parkway Corridor.
"We have more options as far as being able to move traffic north and south and east and west and not have as much congestion in the know on the main arteries that we have now. Because as we grow, it's just going to get worse and worse and we know that. So we're trying to make plans for the future to be able to alleviate that. And sometimes those plans take a long time to come to fruition," Mayor Merrill said.
People who want to raise their concerns to the city about the corridor or show their support for the project are encouraged to go to the Engage Rexburg platform.
