Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
WEST JORDAN -- Utah Department of Transportation officials met with West Jordan residents Tuesday evening to help them understand why they're being forced out of their homes to make way for a new intersection.
The department has planned a continuous flow intersection at 7000 South and Bangerter Highway, but the price of progress is too steep for those whose homes will have be destroyed in order to make way.
The Cortes family has called their West Jordan house home for 10 years now.
"This is the first piece of land we can call our own," Cortes said.
When the family learned last week that their home will be knocked down and they will be re-located, they felt they were misled by UDOT officials who had previously spoken to them.
"They had a meeting," Cortes said. "They said, ‘We're going put in a continuous flow intersection. It's going to fix all your problems. Have no fear, trust us;' and two months later it's, ‘You have two months and then we're coming in to start taking your house.'"
The project will officially break ground in April 2011 and will result in continuous flow intersections at 6200 South, 7000 South and a separated-grade interchange to 7800 South -- improvements UDOT officials say will be essential in the future.
The process of fair market value appraising and re-location will start in November. Three homes will go, and slices of land from a number of other properties will also be taken.
"It is always difficult to hear you might be re-located because of a project," UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo said.
UDOT invited all those affected to an open house at a local elementary school Tuesday night, but the Cortes family left still worried about qualifying for a mortgage in the current economy.
UDOT was not able to answer questions about that topic, but officials said they'll work with families on a case-by-case basis.
"We will make sure, at the end of the day, these property owners are satisfied with the outcome. We won't be satisfied unless they are satisfied," Carrillo said.
"It's home, period, the end," Cortes said. "It's my home, and I'll fight to the death of it."
The project is currently undergoing an environmental study, but UDOT officials expect no problems there.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
---
