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Council tables plan for temporary closure at South Elliott/510; asks for cost, church outreach and a short trial
Summary
After extended debate about daily backups at the curve near South Elliott and State 510, councilmember Bruce proposed a temporary closure with detour or a longer-term roundabout; council voted to table the plan and asked staff to collect cost estimates and talk with affected residents and the nearby church before reconsideration.
Councilmembers held a lengthy discussion about chronic congestion and safety at the curve where South Elliott meets State 510. Councilmember Bruce proposed a low-cost, temporary closure and detour to relieve peak-time backups, saying the measure could be tried and reversed if it did not work.
Speakers described the daily backups that form during afternoon commute times and worried about reduced sight lines for larger vehicles and emergency access. Church representatives from a nearby congregation said temporary closure could hinder weekend and Wednesday evening access for elderly parishioners and charter buses, while Bruce and other proponents said those events occur less often than the daily commuter backups and that adjustments could be made to provide driveway access for affected residents.
Questions of cost and enforcement were central: the street department said materials on hand (reflective concrete blocks and signage) could be used for a pilot and estimated small gravel costs (roughly one load at about $600) for temporary widening if needed. Councilmembers also discussed long-term solutions — traffic signal installation (previously estimated at about $480,000) or a constructed roundabout (potentially on the order of $1,000,000) — and the need for traffic-flow studies to weigh options.
Council action: Instead of selecting an immediate plan, the council voted to table the proposal and asked the street committee and staff to prepare a cost estimate for the temporary measures, to meet with the affected church and residents about driveway access, and to return with recommended trial length and signage/enforcement plans.
Next steps: Staff will provide cost estimates for materials, a recommended trial period (several councilmembers suggested three months), and a plan for signage and police enforcement if the city approves a temporary traffic re-routing at the next meeting.
