Wedge and Micky Fike look at photos of the proposed realignment as it passes through their property south of the road. (Photo by Ernie Over)
(Riverton) – A Wyoming Department of Transportation open house on the reconstruction of a portion of Riverview Road drew a full house at city hall Tuesday night of mostly landowners and residents concerned over impacts to their property. The project, which includes a realignment of the street, is proposed between Augusta Drive on the west and Rein Road on the east. The most significant features of the project is the total reconstruction of the intersection at Hill Street and a new crossing over a major irrigation canal.
Cody Beers, the WYDOT Public Involvement Specialist for District Five, said the project is estimated to cost $2.935 million and would also include a new canal crossing and a bike/pedestrian pathway. He said the project is planned for construction in 2013.
Riverton Public Works Director Bill Urbigkit said the project is one of intergovernmental cooperation involving the WYDOT, Fremont County and the City of Riverton. “This street has a volume of about 4,400 cars per day, it’s a major collector street and the major artery leading into the city from the west valley,” he said. “In advance of this project, the City wants to put more infrastructure in place so we won’t have to dig up a new road in a few years.”
Urbigkit said that infrastructure would include an extension of the city’s sanitary sewer line to the Mary and Henry street area north of Riverview and a new water main between Augusta and Mary streets. “That water main has failed four or five times already and it needs to be replaced,” he said. “The sewer extension will give residents in that neighborhood a way to tie into the line so we don’t have to tear up the street later.”
Plastered across the north wall of the city council chambers was a series of large scale photographs that showed the scope of the project, with the realignment noted in colored lines. Pointing at the map, WYDOT’s Dave Schultz asked those at the meeting to fill out comment sheets or write comments directly on the maps taped to the walls. “This is our proposal for the project and it is subject to change depending on the comments we receive,” he said.
Public Works Director Bill Urbigkit pointed to a map answering questions from Beverly and Glen Hall during the open house. (Photo by Ernie Over)
Due to the nature of the open house format of the meeting, most individual concerns were addressed one by one by a half-dozen WYDOT and City officials attending the session. Those concerns included impacts on existing irrigation ditches, wildlife crossing concerns, impacts on property lines and suggestions for a lower speed limit on the route, among others.
Schultz said the new alignment would provide three 12 foot lanes (including a center turning lane on the western side of the project), a four foot shoulder and a six foot slope with better sight lines throughout plus a detached bicycle and pedestrian path.
Urbigkit said the new intersection at Hill Street, “would not have a right turn merge through lane. Everyone coming down Hill Street would have to stop, but that’s what they do now, and the realignment will mean the intersection will be 50 to 75 feet further west and provide a flat landing area.” Hill Street is sloped from Highway 26 south to Riverview at an 11 percent grade and the current intersection is at the bottom of that slope.
WYDOT's Dave Schultz answered a question from the packed house by pointing out a planned feature of the reconstruction. (Photo by Ernie Over)
Public Works Director Bill Urbigkit referred to the City of Riverton's future land use plan during the meeting. (Photo by Ernie Over)
