MIDDLETON, Idaho — South Middleton Road has a new name.
As of this week, the road is called Trolley Way, and Murphy Avenue has been renamed South Middleton Road.
The Middleton City Council approved the changes at its June 3 meeting.
Mayor Tim O'Meara said the renaming was necessary to avoid having two roads with the same name as the city completed a long-planned roadway connection.
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"The old South Middleton Road, and you can't have two South Middleton roads. So we changed that to Trolley Way because it actually runs out to the old trolley station, which was the railroad station back in the day, back in the early 1900s," O'Meara said.
The change is part of a decades-long effort to connect Middleton Road from the north side of town to Highway 44.
The roadway's history spans generations, with local families donating land and the city making improvements over the years, including replacing the bridge, realigning the road and building what is now the Sawtooth Lakes roundabout.
"You can actually go from the foothills to the north of Gem County line all the way to Lake Lowell, so we're actually at a crossroads here in town now," O'Meara said.
Watch: South Middleton Road has a new name. Here's what you need to know about the change
The city says the completed connection will help support future growth, including developments like the River Walk Ranch Market. Aligning the roadway names will also help reduce confusion for emergency services.
For some longtime businesses, however, the change means additional work behind the scenes. O'Meara acknowledged the burden the address changes place on local businesses.
"Kind of a problem for a lot of our businesses. They're having their address changed, and that was certainly unfortunate, but it had to be done," O'Meara said.
Tina Long, who manages Poppi's Pizza, said the business now has to update vendors, online listings, insurance records and customers with the new location information.
Long said she sees opportunity in the growth the changes represent, even as the community evolves.
"Business-wise, I'm glad because it's always better to have more customers, but our small town is not our small town anymore," Long said.
The updated street signs are now officially in place and the new names are in effect. City officials recommend drivers use extra caution while adjusting to the changes, especially around the intersection of South Middleton Road and Highway 44.
