Saratoga Springs, UDOT at odds over plan to widen road

"I understand," Smith said. "And it's true. It's not fair to make one landowner on one side give everything while the other gives nothing. But we just want them to at least look into it, because it would be safer for our community."

In the past two years, two speeding cars have veered through the roadside park and crashed through backyard fences. One of the cars smashed through a child's backyard playhouse and killed a dog.

So when UDOT originally proposed to build a vinyl fence for safety and to dampen traffic noise, residents laughed.

"They've built a big concrete underground passage for wildlife up the road (near Camp Williams)," Smith said. "Don't tell me it's too expensive to put in a wall for my kids when the deer get a tunnel."

As recently as last week, UDOT reconsidered its position and Thompson said it has found enough funds in the budget to offer the neighborhood a concrete wall and sound barrier.

The wall may have been a victory, but getting engineers to design a jog in a straight section of a century-old road is simply asking too much, according to Thompson.

"It's just not reasonable," he said. "And we'd be doing it for a relatively small amount of people."

UDOT will meet again with residents about the controversial widening on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m at Saratoga Shores Elementary School, 1415 S. Parkside Drive.

E-MAIL: jhancock@desnews.com