Commissioners ask county to study widening Main Street to ease congestion near Quick Check and Route 9

At the May 11 meeting, a commissioner moved and the board approved a request that staff draft a letter to the county seeking study and investigation of widening Main Street — from Kimball Drive through the Main Street extension — to add inbound and outbound lanes.

The motion was introduced by a commissioner who noted ongoing congestion near 881 Main Street and the Quick Check entrance. Staff and the engineer said preliminary work indicates widening is feasible but would require property acquisition in some spots, and that the county typically funds county links while municipalities provide required right-of-way.

The motion text on the record: "I will make a motion, that, Sarah produce a letter to the county, requesting, that we that they investigate, the expansion of the inbound and outbound lanes, from Kimball Drive out to the Main Street extension along Main Street." Another commissioner seconded the motion; the motion passed on a roll call with all present voting yes.

Staff committed to contact the county engineer and to send a sketch so the county understands the scope and standard municipal/county project procedures. The chair noted one complication: relocation of utilities (Pulse) and that negotiation with private owners (referred to on the record) will likely be required.

What happens next: Planning and engineering staff will draft the letter, include a sketch, and deliver it to the county engineer. The board did not set a formal funding commitment; staff said some widening could be achieved alongside developer-required frontage improvements.

Quote from the meeting: "I'll even send him a sketch just so that everybody understands the usual procedure... they will probably say, you get the property that we need, and then we'll fund it," an agency official said.