EAGLE, Idaho — You wouldn't think in these days of massive growth in the Treasure Valley you'd see a paved road being ripped up to be replaced by gravel. But that's exactly what's happening in North Ada County off of Highway 16, and that has a business owner and some residents wondering why?
- ACHD turns pavement road into gravel.
- The decision has upset a North Ada County rural neighborhood.
- Increased truck traffic has contributed to wear and tear.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"We're literally going backward thirty years, said Gary Cunningham.
Gary Cunningham, the owner of Three Horse Ranch Vineyards, says ACHD turning parts of Chaparral and Willow Creeks roads back to gravel doesn't make sense to him.
Cunningham and his neighbors have noticed a dramatic increase in gravel trucks going up and down Chaparral and Willow Creek roads.
He didn't think much about it until he noticed more cracks and potholes in the road.
"Our neighbors, customers, our vendors, our neighbors, our employees, everybody is having to go through the demolition of all these roads for the past year and a half. Those trucks, hundreds of them, could have simply gone down to Aerie Way to the front end of Val Nova and dropped their payloads and never got off on these roads," Cunningham said.
I spoke with a representative from Val Nova who said because of work being done on the main entrance off of Highway 16, the site manager chose Chaparral Road as the preferred route until the entrance was complete, which it is now. I noticed dozens turning in the main entrance on Monday. Val Nova will start paying impact fees to Ada County once they begin building homes.
As far as why ACHD is replacing a paved road with gravel? I asked Lloyd Carnegie, the maintenance manager for ACHD.
"Was this an easy decision to make, to turn pavement to gravel? It was a very difficult decision, it took a lot of discussion and meetings to make that final decision that we need to turn it back to gravel, we pride ourselves but with the traffic on the roads we had to change it back to gravel."
Carnegie told me that returning the roads to gravel is about the safest and most cost-effective way to maintain these county roads.
"It was holding up to what the traffic has historically been but as growth in the valley happens, the use of this road has changed there's been more impact on it. We have been doing our asphalt maintenance on it but it has proven ineffective by keeping it maintained in a safe condition."
I asked Rachel Bjornstad with the Ada County Highway District, did Val Nova's gravel trucks play a part in ACHD's decision to switch from pavement to gravel? Bjornstad replied saying the decision was not specific to one developer as there are several entities using these roads.
Cunningham made it clear he is not against development, he just wants a safe road. I will have much more on this development in the weeks ahead.
