The meeting with Dept. of Highways officials was facilitated at the Bell County Board of Education building in Pineville by Superintendent George Thompson. A spectrum of Bell County officials were present, including State Representative Rick Nelson, Sheriff Bruce Bennett, Deputy David Cornelius, Judge-Executive Albey Brock, and Magistrate Hubert Dozier, according to Nelson.
Nelson said a request was made by those officials for new safety measures in the Bell County High School (BCHS) and Bell Central School Center school zone, which is positioned on a steep hill on Highway 25-E and bookended by two blind curves. He and Bennett requested that the speed limit be reduced to 35 mph; the turnlanes into BCHS be extended in the southbound lane so that traffic could safely enter the school; and that another set of caution lights be installed.
A request was also made regarding the intersection of Highway 25-E and Highway 190 for caution lights in the southbound lane, a speed reduction to 45 or 40 mph, and warning lights for both sides of the intersection, according to Nelson. He said the numerous accidents at the intersection are caused by traffic congestion.
The officials also requested warning lights for the intersection of Highway 25E and Highway 188. Nelson said that the area has had numerous accidents and that the speed limit had already been reduced to 45 mph and sight distance had been improved.
“There’s no question that speed is the biggest factor at all of these intersections,” said Nelson. “All of them have unique factors,” like blind curves and steep inclines.
Bennett stated previously that the school zone at BCHS is extremely dangerous for not only regular traffic and students and personnel at the schools, but also for his deputies who control the heavily traveled road twice a day. On top of that, Bennett said that when the new vocational school is completed next to BCHS, the problem will only be compounded.
The solution? Bennett said that in order to ensure safety in the school zone, a traffic light would need to be installed. However, Nelson said that at the meeting, there was no talk by highway officials of a traffic light.
Bennett said he felt the meeting with Dept. of Highways officials was “civil, at best” and left unsatisfied.
“I don’t think we accomplished what we hoped to...” said Bennett. “Those people are very reluctant to help us.”
Thompson could not be reached on Monday for comment on the meeting.
When asked via e-mail what measures of the request were being considered, John Dobson, Public Affairs Officer for the Dept. of Highways in Manchester, had this to say:
“There are no concrete plans at this time. We are continuing to analyze data from the route, and are continuing discussions with local officials.”
Stephen Woodward is a Staff Writer for the Daily News. He may be contacted at swoodward@middlesborodailynews.com.
We NEED THESE LIGHTS THERE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OTHERS.