- The Bannerman Road Widening Project is now expected to take an extra five years to complete.
- The first of three phases will officialy start in 2026.
- Watch the video to find out what's behind the extended timeline.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Bannerman Road Widening Project, originally expected to be complete in 2030, is now extended to 2035.
Commissioner Brian Welch announced the change on Facebook Wednesday, raising concerns among nearby homeowners and business owners –
“It's unacceptable,” Montilla said.
Like the owner of Verity Health Center Isaac Montilla.
His shop is located in Bannerman Crossing.
Montilla says he's dealt with the project at the shop since talks began in 2014.
But now, he's uncertain how a 10-year construction perioud would impact traffic to his business and his customers.
“I know that my business, the service that we provide, people do come from all over. I have no idea what it's going to look like, but I know that I projected to have – as many have also talked about – I projected to have a negative impact in terms of flow,” he said.
The $100 million project aims to improve existing traffic flow and account for growth, according to Blueprint documents. It would do that by creating a four-lane road, set to be completed in three phases. The first runs from Quail Common to Greystone, then from Meridian Road to Oak Grove. The last phase goes from Oak Grove to Greystone.
Commissioner Brian Welch tells ABC 27’s Brieanna Smith most of the project will be done in 2029.
"25% will have to be extended for various reasons, including that we're going to have to reconstruct the entire roadbed of Bannerman Road, and, you know, the Blueprint money comes in year-to-year, and so we won't necessarily have all the money in time for 2029,” Welch said.
He says the goal is to keep the roads open throughout construction.
But only 60% of the design phase is complete, and some community advocates like Max Epstein say the project lacks transparency.
"Are there going to be roundabouts? Where are the stormwater ponds? Are there going to be turn lanes? And information is just not available. It should be available to the public,” Epstein said.
Other residents are worrying about property values at nearby neighborhoods.
“I've heard even patients tell me, like, ‘I'm looking at leaving the next couple of years,’" Montilla said.
Montilla tells Smith he believes Blueprint should figure out a way to complete the construction faster.
"I guess my frustration here as somebody who, you know, eats, plays, serves in this community, is that why haven't we been more proactive?” he said. “At the end of the time, the one thing you can never get back is time, right?”
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