FARMINGTON -- A group of Davis County residents oppose one of the West Davis Corridor options so much, they've decided to buy a billboard along Interstate 15 to demonstrate their displeasure.
The billboard, which is on the west side of I-15 and is viewable in the northbound lane, sits between Pages Lane and Porter Lane in Centerville and reads, "WARNING: I-15 Bottleneck Coming. UDOT: www.StopTheBottleNeck.com."
If the West Davis Corridor gets built, it will include an interchange off I-15 that connects to the road in Farmington and southern Kaysville. The state will build the interchange at either Glovers Lane or Shepard Lane.
The Bottleneck group says they strongly oppose the Shepard Lane option, not only because it will impact more homes, but because it will create havoc on I-15.
Farmington resident James Burton serves as the group's spokesman and said the Shepard Lane option eliminates a true alternative to I-15, because all travelers on the WDC would be merged onto I-15 for a mile and a half before merging back onto the corridor.
"Myself and a lot of the other group members have our own personal reasons why we don't like the Shepard Lane option," Burton said. "It would be only a stone's throw from my house and would uproot some of my neighbors.
"We realize most people don't really care about that. But they will care if I-15 becomes a bottleneck. That's the message we're trying to get out."
Burton said the billboard costs about $1,500 a month and was paid for through a door-to-door campaign organized by the group.
"We plan on keeping (the billboard) up as long as we can fund it," Burton said. "We're dead serious about this, and we want people who drive on I-15 to do a little investigating."
The Shepard Lane option would cost the state about $168 million, while the Glovers option comes in at $134 million, but UDOT officials say the cost won't necessarily determine which option is selected.
Farmington has publicly endorsed the Shepard Lane option, while its neighbor to the north, Kaysville, has endorsed Glovers.
WDC Project Manager Randy Jeffries said a final decision has not been made and the state will choose the option that best serves the entire Top of Utah region.
UDOT hopes to complete a draft environmental impact statement on the road in the summer.
Once the EIS is complete, UDOT will submit the report to the Federal Highway Administration.
A final route decision is expected in 2013.
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