Payson councilors back informal submission to UDOT to name new arterial 'Payson Parkway' amid regional naming concerns

Payson City Council members discussed naming a planned arterial near the new freeway interchange and signaled support for submitting "Payson Parkway" to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) for approval.

The discussion began with a staff update explaining that the new arterial—preliminarily referred to as the Nebel Beltway—will connect the freeway to Highway 198 and is currently planned as an arterial within Payson. Robert (city staff) said a small naming committee reviewed about 20 options and "that committee felt that Payson Parkway would be a better choice, for that." The committee cited avoidable confusion with the Nebo Loop scenic byway and the desire for a name that identifies the roadway as belonging to Payson.

Why it matters: the name will appear on signs and maps used by drivers coming off the freeway and can affect wayfinding, local identity and coordination with neighboring jurisdictions. Council members said they want the name to be recognizable for people exiting the interchange into Payson while acknowledging the roadway is planned to extend and link with other communities.

Councilmember Moss said the committee favored a plainly identifiable name so drivers "know exactly where you are." Several councilors and staff raised concerns that the corridor is intended as a belt loop that could eventually traverse Spanish Fork Canyon, Benjamin and other bench communities and might be named differently in other jurisdictions. One council member noted that naming a roadway that will cross multiple cities could create conflicts or confusion if neighboring cities choose different names for their sections.

Staff noted that the design will be built in phases and that UDOT may ultimately own and manage the corridor; both factors reduce the city’s ability to guarantee a name will remain unchanged. Robert said Payson has "first naming rights" for the segment currently within city limits but acknowledged that later phases and interjurisdictional decisions could produce different names along the larger loop.

No formal motion was made during the discussion. Councilors agreed informally to proceed with submitting the name "Payson Parkway" to UDOT and asked staff to reach out to neighboring communities to clarify that Payson is not attempting to force a single name on other jurisdictions. Councilmember Brian said he was "fine with naming that part Payson Parkway" while recognizing the likelihood of future changes by other jurisdictions or UDOT.

Next steps: staff will submit the suggested name to UDOT and will contact adjacent communities to discuss naming concerns. The council did not adopt an ordinance or take a recorded vote on the name at this meeting.