Dear Editor,
Again, lets confront the downtown traffic issue with the cost of construction and the cost to the business owners. Demolish all the buildings in the way and build a new bridge to replace the new bridge? You do understand these buildings are owned by someone and must be bought? You do understand any downtown business not demolished will not survive 2 or 3 years of downtown construction? Look at the Avalon Bowling Center which went out of business.
Again build one new two lane going west (over Blackwater) bridge connecting to Berryhill St. making this road two lanes in one direction West to Stewart St. This does not mean changing any part of Berryhill Rd., it won’t be touched. Traffic will turn left at Stewart St. to get back (two blocks away) to Highway 90 going to Pace, right turn to get to Whiting Field and straight just like it is today to get to the Hospital. Highway 90 from Burger King will now be 2 lanes one way headed east through downtown and over the still new & current bridge.
Cost of project; one new 2 lane bridge, 7 new traffic light configurations, repaving (optional) and re-striping both roads to accommodate the one ways. No land to buy, no buildings to buy or demolish and haul off, no downtown businesses lost, limited traffic delays during the project and a short completion time equals less cost to the tax payer and corrects the traffic problem. What do the people living inside this square marked by Highway 90, North Willing St. Berryhill St. and Stewart St. have to gain? Change all the zoning to commercial allowing their property values to go up put keeping their tax burden the same until they decide to sell to a future businesses. Also all the off grade homes can be moved instead of being demolished if desired. This will eventually create a larger area for a downtown business structure to the north side of Highway 90. Also anyone who voices a objection because of living on Berryhill Rd. between Stewart St. and Dogwood Dr. does so with a lack of knowledge that this plan doesn't change the traffic pattern on this portion of road. I also support anything that needs to be done to keep speeders from speeding on all these roads.
Steven M. King
Milton
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Common sense needed for Highway 90