Utah County is asking the Utah Transportation Commission to give it six state roads, but two state legislators from Spanish Fork believe the roads are better off in the state's care.
County Engineer Clyde Naylor has sent the Transportation Commission a letter asking that the following state roads be transferred to county control: U-77, U-115, U-141, U-147, U-156 and U-164. An analysis of state roads conducted in 1987 identified these roads as no longer serving a state function and recommended they be turned over to the county.Rep. Tim Moran and Sen. Eldon Money, both D-Spanish Fork, told county commissioners Wednesday they have had numerous calls from residents concerned about the county taking over responsibility for the roads.
The county wants to own theroads because they qualify as federal-aid secondary roads; Utah County has been allotted $4 million for use in improving such roads but does not currently have secondary roads that are in need of improvement.
"That money is basically going wanting," Naylor said. "We felt like this would be a way to upgrade not only those roads but their intersections with other county roads."
Naylor also said the added mileage would qualify the county for about $90,000 in additional Class B road maintenance funds from the state.
But Moran said the county's record for keeping its roads plowed during the winter and well-maintained at other times has been "deplorable."
"I can't see that $90,000 will be enough to do the job and do it adequately," Moran said. "Last winter snow removal was a disaster."
Moran also criticized county officials for not holding public meetings on their plans so residents could become informed about and comment on the issue.
Naylor says the county will make the roads a top priority, while they are at the bottom of the state's priority list; he also says the county will be able to take care of them without additional manpower. Moran and Money doubt it.
"The state has the equipment and the manpower," Moran said. "Let's leave it there. Let's don't bring an additional burden on the taxpayers of Utah County."
Moran said that depending on continuing federal funding is risky.
Dan Nelson, Orem, Utah Department of Transportation district director, said the county's road maintenance and plowing standards aren't as strict as those followed by the state.
"I sympathize with those people who feel their roads will not be maintained at the same standard as a state road, and I think that is probably true," Nelson said.
But, several of the roads parallel other existing, higher-standard and more heavily used state roads, Nelson said.
"We can't afford to maintain two roads that basically perform the same function," Nelson said.
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Roads at stake
Utah County Engineer Clyde Naylor wants the following state roads turned over to the county:
-U-77 - the Lakeshore Highway, which runs from I-15 on the south side of Springville to Lakeshore, 7.04 miles.
-U-115 - the Leland Highway, which runs from Payson to Spanish Fork via Leland, 7.58 miles.
-U-141 - the Genola Highway, which runs from West Mountain to Genola, 6.58 miles.
-U-147 - the Benjamin Highway, which runs from West Mountain through Benjamin to Mapleton, 20.95 miles.
-U-156 - Maggie's Bend, which runs from Spanish Fork 800 North to Springville Main Street, 4.18 miles.
-U-164 - the south Spanish Fork access road, which runs between I-15 and 8000 South to U.S. 6, 2.63 miles.