Engineering study: fixing truck curb-cutting at SR 91/303 likely means a $2 million rebuild; cheaper options offer partial relief

City staff presented engineering analysis on Oct. 28 of truck movements and neighborhood traffic near the intersection of State Route 91 and State Route 303, concluding that only a large reconstruction would fully eliminate heavy trucks running over curbs and ADA ramps.

Brad Kosko, speaking for city staff, showed a swept‑path diagram of large trucks and said modeling indicates the northwest quadrant would need to be moved back 20 to 30 feet to fully accommodate the largest vehicle profiles; that full reconstruction and associated signal relocation would carry a staff estimate of about $2,000,000. Kosko told council that, in a 12‑hour count done in 2023, “there was over 200 of the largest trucks came through the intersection,” and he said smaller curb adjustments would not prevent most large trucks from running over the curb.

Why it matters: Heavy vehicles running over curbs have repeatedly damaged intersection aprons and created recurring engineering and ADA concerns. Councilors flagged pedestrian-safety and queuing tradeoffs, noting a potential conflict between creating space for turning trucks and maintaining safe pedestrian sightlines and storage for northbound queues.

Options and tradeoffs: Staff described three approaches:
- Full redesign: move curb lines back 20–30 feet into greens, relocate signal hardware and controllers, and rebuild ramps. Staff estimated this approach at roughly $2,000,000 and said it would have large traffic and greens impacts.
- Partial curb/backset work: a smaller curb realignment (18–36 inches) and ramp staging area, with an estimated cost near $200,000; staff said this would ease conflicts for smaller trucks but would not prevent the largest trucks from encroaching.
- Operational/striping adjustments: moving the stop bar back is inexpensive paint but may reduce queue lengths and could worsen visibility for pedestrians; staff and the mayor cautioned that human behavior sometimes means drivers stop ahead of the painted bar and that pedestrian sightlines could be harmed.

Legal and funding constraints: Staff noted the city previously applied for AMETs funding in 2015 and returned the funds after community concerns about greens impacts; staff also warned that further restrictions on a state route could jeopardize state or federal funding and that the city should check with the state before pursuing turn‑movement restrictions. Councilors said they were unlikely to fund a $2 million project locally and urged staff to seek grants where possible.

Neighborhood traffic counts: Staff also presented counts for East Case and West Case neighborhoods showing overall lower traffic volumes and speeds compared with counts roughly two decades old, although Milford showed significant increases tied to the Veterans Way crossing. Hartford Drive counts were pending; staff said they would complete Hartford counts and consider cell-phone–based vehicle‑movement data to measure historical trends.

Next steps: Council asked staff to research legal options for turn restrictions, to return with a corridor‑level package of lower‑cost improvements and to explore grant possibilities if council wishes to pursue a larger reconstruction. No formal motions were adopted at the workshop.