The Road Ahead: Addressing Millcreek's Crumbling Infrastructure

As Millcreek navigated its journey as an unincorporated part of Salt Lake County, maintaining our roads was a constant challenge, as the county made decisions about how much funding to allocate to unincorporated areas.  Residents of the Millcreek area had little representation in funding discussions.  Incorporated cities, with their greater voice, often secured a larger share of available funding.

When the city incorporated, residents gained greater local control. It has been difficult to address all infrastructure needs because we inherited 179 linear miles of aging pavement and a maintenance backlog that had been growing over the decade before incorporation, when unincorporated areas took a back seat to incorporated cities.

For the past decade, one of the most common concerns in our community has been the condition of our roads. Many have expressed frustration over the number of potholes and poorly maintained roads, which have only worsened over time. Since we don't have a dedicated Public Works crew for road maintenance, we continue to rely on our partnership and contract with Salt Lake County. This collaboration encompasses essential services such as pavement preservation, streetlight maintenance, snow removal, and much more. 

Despite our best efforts, rising inflation and weather patterns continue to take a toll on our asphalt. This makes it increasingly challenging to keep pace with the deterioration of our roadways. Many roads now are in desperate need of full reconstruction. Instead, they are receiving temporary preservation treatments, essentially a band-aid, until we can allocate the necessary resources for more permanent solutions. 

As we move forward, we must take a proactive approach to tackling our infrastructure challenges. In the coming months, Millcreek will hold multiple open houses to discuss and find solutions to ongoing road maintenance, ensuring a smoother, safer travel experience for everyone. We'll begin by assessing our current funding, which is insufficient to address the extensive list of roads that require more than preservation. The road ahead may be a little rocky, but together we can pave the way for improvement.