UDOT eyes homes to be relocated for project

WEST VALLEY CITY — It is one of the clearest signs a proposed highway project is about to become reality — the homes to be sacrificed in the name of progress are being identified.

The Utah Department of Transportation has given homeowners along the Mountain View Corridor a strong indication as to whether their houses will be relocated — ie., torn down and the owners paid for the approximate value — or spared when the department builds the new westside Salt Lake County-Utah County highway.

At recent public meetings, project planners disclosed that between 240 and 270 homes in Salt Lake County will be removed to make way for the eight-lane highway — depending on the ultimate alignment.

In Utah County, between 20 and 140 relocations will be required, again depending on the exact alignment.

Four Salt Lake County alignments have been studied and narrowed down to two choices and four alternate routes are proposed for Utah County. Project officials emphasize no home relocations have been finalized — but that moment is near.

"That range (of homes) implies that we don't have our precise number yet," said TeriAnne Newell, UDOT's project manager for the Mountain View Corridor Environmental Impact Statement (EIS.) "It also takes into account that we have different alternates (proposed routes) that have different numbers of relocations" associated with them.

The project team recently contacted all homeowners within a quarter mile of the proposed alignments. Based on those proposals, the highway appears likely to follow a Salt Lake County alignment along either 7200 West or 5800 West.

Possible interchange locations for both of those alignments also have been released.

"We made an effort to reach out to people . . . and make them understand that their houses may be impacted," Newell said.

Some homeowners now find themselves in the unenviable position of not being able to sell their houses because no one wants to buy a home likely to be demolished in the future and yet having to wait a number of years before the government will buy their property.

The state does have a hardship fund for homeowners who find themselves in the path of a future roadway but need to move now, due to a job relocation, health concern or other qualifying hardship. However, Newell cautioned, "Everybody is not going to be able to get that (hardship status.)"

Newell said it will take another year before the project team has narrowed its choice down to one final alignment, either 5800 West or 7200 West. At that time, the homes to be relocated will be disclosed, she said.