POLITICS + GOVERNMENT
Farmington residents not happy with UDOT over West Davis Corridor placement
May 26, 2021, 8:13 AM | Updated: 4:06 pm
Canyon Creek Elementary School in Farmington. The West Davis Corridor will be built just south of the school. (Paul Nelson)
(Paul Nelson)
FARMINGTON, Utah – Officials with UDOT believe their West Davis Corridor will save drivers a lot of time traveling through Davis County, but some county residents say they’re worried about possible safety issues and a lot of noise coming from the highway.
Weston Tingey lives on the south end of Shirley Rae Drive, a stone’s throw from the West Davis Corridor when completed. He says he found out that part of the highway won’t include a sound wall.
“That’s honestly, one of the most upsetting things is that it’s going to come right next to you, but they won’t put up a barrier to keep your peace and quiet,” Tingey says.
He also worries about the increased traffic and potential safety issues that come with a new highway.
Related: “Life-changing” West Davis Highway begins construction
Tingey says, “We’re worried there’s going to be noise, that it’s going to devalue the home and everything that comes along with it.”
Residents worry about West Davis Corridor noise
He and other Farmington residents say they’re wondering if they will need to move out of the area. One woman, who wanted to stay anonymous, says drivers are frequently going over 50 miles an hour on the street next to her home, despite the fact there is an elementary school nearby. She says when she bought the house, she understood her street would never connect to main roads, but they do now.
“Had we known that, we probably wouldn’t have bought this land,” she says.
Farmington leaders say they opposed UDOT’s proposal for the highway and tried to fight it, to no avail.
City Manager Shane Pace says, “The city spent a number of years in litigation with UDOT on a number of issues on the West Davis Corridor. Unfortunately, the city wasn’t successful in any of that litigation.”
In the end, Pace says the city decided to provide UDOT with feedback whenever they could. He says they understand UDOT has a tough task ahead of them, and there was no way everyone could be happy with the final decision.
“When they decide to build a highway, any route that they choose is going to anger and frustrate people,” Pace says.
