1952: Layton's First Significant Traffic Jam?

                                                   The Hill Villa Subdivision in 2018.

In the summer of 1952, Layton City experienced one of its first residential traffic jams, caused by the many commuters leaving Hill Air Force Base.

According to the Davis County Clipper of July 25, 1952, commuters leaving Hill AFB would travel south down Hill Field Road and then to avoid the traffic jam would short cut through the Hill Villa Subdivision at about 700 North to access Main Street.

“First it was a human chain of women stretched across the street who wouldn’t let workers through,” the Clipper reported. “Now a State Highway Patrolman parks nightly at the junction where Air Base employees frequently swing off Hill Field Road to let themselves out of the long line of traffic that gushes forth about 4 p.m.”

Weeks later, a new traffic signal was installed to help workers leave Hill Field Road without short cutting through Hill Villa.

Note that when I-15 was constructed in the mid-1960s, access to Hill Villa Subdivision became restricted, with only a Main Street access. Hill Field Road, or Gordon Avenue access was blocked. Gordon Avenue was split by the freeway and Hill Field Road's connection was curved and moved further north, where it dumped directly into Main Street.

                Hill Villa Subdivision is very quiet and out-of-the-way today.