CENTERVILLE — For the sake of a historic home and its neighbors, a project that’s been years in the works might not happen.

Residents have protested the city and UDOT’s plans to widen the intersection of Main Street and Parrish Lane, saying that the project will take a large part of the yard surrounding the historic Joel Parrish home. As a result, city officials have commissioned a study to see if improvements to the intersection of Market Place and Parrish Lane would suitably mitigate the area’s traffic problems.

“We need to determine whether we can realistically make modifications there and send enough people north,” said Centerville City Manager Steve Thacker. Results of the study are expected some time next week.

The city first began considering the intersection widening project in 2007, around the same time that the newly opened Walmart began increasing traffic to the area. Originally, there were only plans for one left turn lane, an improvement that would have had no effect on the Joel Parrish home. The second left turn lane was included as a future improvement, designed to accommodate the increased development going into the city’s west side.

For more information check out the July 26 edition of Davis Clipper.