Eagle Mountain has had its share of growing pains and continues to have issues. One of the main complaints that residents of the city have is transportation. With the cities fast growth and the number of already approved housing units, the transportation issue will probably be an issue for years to come. The city is working to alleviate the problem and one of the ways it is trying to ease the traffic congestion is by working on putting in a new collector road called “Airport Road”.
Proposed Airport Road
“Airport Road is a much-needed portal to Eagle Mountain. In addition to the expansion of Pony Express Parkway and Eagle Mountain Boulevard, we need to continue to earnestly pursue funding, engineering, and building of this crucial gateway to the heart of our city for a host of reasons. Like all of you, my husband and children use these routes to get to work and school and their safety and your family’s safety matter. It has been a huge priority to get all three of these major roadways established and expanded in both a timely and fiscally responsible way.”
“Airport Road is a much-needed portal to Eagle Mountain. In addition to the expansion of Pony Express Parkway and Eagle Mountain Boulevard, we need to continue to earnestly pursue funding, engineering, and building of this crucial gateway to the heart of our city for a host of reasons. Like all of you, my husband and children use these routes to get to work and school and their safety and your family’s safety matter. It has been a huge priority to get all three of these major roadways established and expanded in both a timely and fiscally responsible way.”When asked about Airport road, Tyler Maffitt the cities Communication Manager responded with, “Eagle Mountain continues to grow at a rapid pace. It’s important the city has infrastructure that accommodates these changes. Airport Road will serve to better direct traffic in certain areas of the community and has been needed since discussions began on the project about 20 years ago.” He then forwarded the questions I asked him to Chris Trusty (City Engineer). Below are the questions and the answers that the city provided.
Questions and Answers about Airport Road
Q: How did the road get its name?
A: It was originally planned to run alongside the airport located just south of the Sage Park subdivision. The name was considered a placeholder. The City has discussed options for adopting another name internally prior to the actual roadway dedication.
Q: How long will the road be?
A: The road will be approximately 10 miles long and will provide an additional north to the south arterial road to provide access to SR-73 and the future freeway.
Q: What size and classification will the road have (residential, collector, etc.)?
A: It is planned to be an arterial/collector. The actual road right of way will vary from 203 feet to 95 feet. It is anticipated that the road will carry less traffic south of Eagle Mountain Boulevard.
Q: Does the city own the land for the road?
A: If not, what percentage is currently owned by the city? The City currently owns roughly 15% of the road.
Q: What issues is the road going to address?
A: One of the main issues the road will address short term will be to relieve some of the existing congestion on Pony Express through the Ranches by providing more direct access to SR-73. Long-term, the road will provide north/south continuity through the city. The roadway will also provide secondary access for the Lone Tree subdivision.
Q: Can I get a timeline on the different sections being built, their completion dates, etc, and when the road is expected to be completed.
A: The first phase will be completed this year and will provide access to the Overland subdivision. The next phase will be completed possibly as soon as next year which will provide a connection from Pony Express to SR-73. Sections farther south are not likely to be constructed within the next 4-5 years, but timing is largely dependent on how quickly the city grows and how that affects the City’s traffic patterns.
Mayor Tom Westmoreland had this to say about Airport Road.
“Though a short stretch of Airport Road, extending west from Pony Express Parkway will be completed this year, the remainder will be completed by end of October 2022. Once opened, Airport Road will provide another connection between Pony Express Parkway and SR-73. This will help take some traffic off of Eagle Mountain Boulevard and Pony Express Parkway. It will also create an opportunity for neighborhood developments in the area to connect as an alternate route.”Page Sponsors
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