Show All Answers

1. I understand that the existing intersection of Townsend Avenue and Woodgate Road will be closed. What is the reasoning behind this? How will people get from Townsend Avenue over to Woodgate Road?

That is correct, this project plans to close the existing intersection of Townsend Avenue and Woodgate Road. Given Woodgate Road’s proximity to Townsend Avenue, there was no way to safely configure an intersection that could maintain access to Townsend Avenue within the project area while accommodating the anticipated volume of north-south traffic. The interchange between Townsend Avenue and Woodgate Road will take place on existing East Oak Grove Road, Venture Way, Odelle Road, and Ogden Road connections. Once the project is complete and traffic patterns have stabilized, the city will perform a traffic study of these intersections (excluding Venture Way which doesn’t have a signal) and optimize signal timings with CDOT to make sure that all of these turning movements can be accommodated. The approach where East Oak Grove joins the new Woodgate Road will also include a right turn lane to help keep this transition as smooth as possible.

2. What will become of access to US Bank on the southeastern corner of East Oak Grove and Townsend?

US Bank is currently accessed from two points on East Oak Grove Road (one in and one out), a two-way access from Townsend Avenue, and an access from the existing Woodgate Road across an abandoned parking lot. The project plans to leave the three access points to Townsend Avenue and East Oak Grove Road unchanged. Access from Woodgate will be eliminated.

3. I see the plan overview calls for a future roundabout at the intersection of Woodgate and East Oak Grove Roads. Why isn’t this being built now with the road project?

The city wishes to construct a roundabout at this intersection; however, the city has not secured all of the necessary rights of way on the north side of East Oak Grove and does not currently have enough capital funds to construct it. A roundabout at this location is expected to cost approximately $1M. To avoid delaying the overall project, the city plans to move forward with the realignment roadway project to solve many of the immediate traffic issues experienced in the area and complete the first step in what will ultimately become a two-step solution. The city will then work on traffic analyses, plans, and land acquisitions for a future roundabout as funds and development opportunities allow. Although some motorists may avoid the East Oak Grove/Woodgate intersection by using Ogden, Odelle, or Venture, long queues are still possible at this intersection until a roundabout is constructed.

4. I heard the City purchased a house on the southeast corner of the future East Oak Grove/Woodgate intersection. What is the plan here?

During the design process for the realignment project, the house at 1628 East Oak Grove came on the market for sale. The city would eventually need a small portion of this property for construction of the future roundabout and associated utilities at this intersection. In addition to the roundabout need, the city also did not want to surprise a potential buyer of this house by unveiling a new arterial roadway near their western property boundary shortly after they purchased it. As a remedy to these concerns, the city purchased the house at market value in November 2020. In an attempt to keep the house from sitting empty, the city has rented it out on a month-by-month basis until summer when they plan to use it as a construction office for the project. The city intends to sell the house following completion of the realignment project.