Utah County neighborhood frustrated as roundabout project sends heavy traffic through residential streets

HIGHLAND — Utah County residents are raising safety concerns as a small road construction project has created unexpectedly big problems in their quiet Highland neighborhood.

A new roundabout is being built at Highland Drive and 11800 North, and while the project is meant to improve long‑term traffic flow, the short‑term detour is pushing thousands of cars — and even large trucks — onto a narrow residential street near Skye Estates.

Residents said they had no idea this was coming.

“I hate it. It’s too much,” one neighbor said as a steady stream of cars passed by his driveway.

Christine Broadbent told KSL’s Adam Small that she and others living on this road are now hearing more noise and seeing close calls with their kids who are outside playing.

Broadbent said she also didn’t know this was happening ahead of time.

“I think we would have much preferred to address it before they started turning our neighborhood into a major highway,” Broadbent said.

The detour funnels traffic directly into the Highland neighborhood, specifically onto Saltaire Drive where residents said drivers are treating the street like a freeway.

“People speed through here like it’s the Autobahn,” one resident said.

Neighbors say the situation has escalated beyond inconvenience and into danger. Danielle Bottomfield, who lives along the detour route, described what she witnessed on Tuesday.

“We saw the motorcycles take the sidewalk all the way to get through traffic — and they went through the park,” she said.

Her son Averi worries someone will get seriously hurt.

“If someone gets hit, you’re gonna be dead. It’s the real honest truth,” he said.

Highland City leaders walked the detour route today, acknowledging the city mishandled communication with residents.

Councilmember Doug Cortney didn’t mince words:

“There is no question at all that we blew it with this,” he said.

Legally, the city wasn’t required to notify residents or gather public input for a project of this type. But Cortney says that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have.

“This isn’t something we do on a regular basis, and sometimes you make mistakes,” he said. “I think that’s what’s happening here.”

The project is expected to last six weeks, and city leaders say they’re now focused on making the detour as safe as possible.

Highland City Administrator Erin Wells said they’re adding more signage and coordinating with law enforcement.

“We know it’s painful. We’re going to do our part, and we ask residents to do their part and be patient for six weeks with us — and have everyone slow down,” Wells said.

Residents said they just want their neighborhood back to normal.

“It’s slow, peaceful — a really good community. Everyone’s nice, very, very friendly,” Bottomfield said, hoping that’s what the neighborhood will feel like again once the project is complete.

City leaders say they plan to discuss the issue further at the next city council meeting on the 16th, and they’re encouraging residents to share their concerns so they can work toward solutions together.