Future of American Fork Main Street uncertain

AMERICAN FORK — Much like Route 66 before the freeways came, downtown American Fork has a future that might also be determined by its main thoroughfare.

A group of home and business owners who own property along Main Street gathered recently to focus on improving the area, but some say they're worried that future transportation plans might hamper any changes that could be started immediately.

Several store owners talked about adding a bakery or a pet-grooming facility to the local businesses that line the street. But others worried that a State Street-widening project or rerouting I-15 construction traffic through the town could crush their stream of customers.

"Obviously, this road is a huge concern with everybody," said Michael Garlick, owner of Finders Keepers on Main Street. "But I don't think you're going to be able to go any further with the development of downtown until they figure this out."

As northern Utah County continues to grow, Utah's Department of Transportation is in the thick of figuring out how to handle an already burgeoning traffic load.

UDOT proposed widening State Street from 2000 North on the Orem/Lindon border to 100 East in American Fork to help with that load.

According to Dave Nazare, UDOT Region 3 director, the widening will most likely stop at 500 East in American Fork, although the department will conduct an environmental-impact study on the road up to 100 East.

Main Street is not included in the widening process.

Nazare said he expects the study to be completed in a year, with construction beginning some time in 2009.

As far as using American Fork's Main Street as a bypass for a construction project on I-15, Nazare said the department has no set plans to paint over the street's existing on-street parking and restripe the road for seven lanes. UDOT has discussed restriping the road, but only preliminarily, Nazare said.

"If we ever did anything like that, it would be something we'd look at for primarily mitigating the traffic on I-15 while the construction was under way," Nazare said. "We have no plans at this point to go ahead and do that."

Nazare said the department would still have to work with city officials in American Fork in determining a solution.