PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Following Friday’s announcement that the popular burger chain In-N-Out plans to build its first Washington location in the same shopping center as Ridgefield’s looming 151,000-square-foot Costco , local citizens are questioning if the rural city’s infrastructure is prepared to manage the traffic.
Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart told KOIN 6 News that the city is already working on widening a stretch of Pioneer Street from 56th Place to Royle Road. The plan would double the capacity of the road lining the Union Ridge Town Center from two to four lanes by the end of 2024, before Costco is scheduled to open.
However, with the recent announcement that an In-N-Out may also open in the same lot, citizens responded to the city with their concerns that the improvements to Pioneer Street, which connects to I-5, may not be enough to handle the anticipated traffic caused by the new shopping center.
“I love Costco and In-N-Out, but I can’t believe the 56th [Place] roundabout is going to handle that much extra traffic,” one person wrote on the City of Ridgefield’s Facebook announcement about the In-N-Out location. “I really hope you all have a plan, and a backup or two in case it is more than you expected.”
“What’s going to be the plan for traffic?” another resident shared. “Seems like [this] roundabout and intersection are not well set up for the amount of traffic Costco, and now In-N-Out, will bring.”
In the Facebook post, the City of Ridgefield wrote that the road improvements were designed with the development in mind. However, it’s unclear if the city anticipated that a business as popular as In-N-Out would apply for the location. KOIN 6 asked the city to provide data from any traffic studies conducted regarding the new development. However, the city has not immediately provided a response.
In-N-Out’s first Oregon location opened in Medford in the fall of 2015 . Hundreds of customers flooded the location for the grand opening before the fast food restaurant even opened its doors. A location also opened in Keizer just over four years ago.
The City of Ridgefield is encouraging citizens with questions, comments and concerns about the proposed In-N-Out location to share their thoughts on the city’s “roundtable” website .
Panda Express and McDonald’s locations are also expected to open in the “Ridgefield Gateway” shopping plaza, located just outside the Union Ridge Town Center.
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