State officials listen to citizen complaints
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is taking steps toward making two major intersections safer by installing additional stop signs.
The intersections of Old Stage Road at Sheriff Johnson Road and N.C. 27 at Leslie Campbell Avenue, both in Harnett County, had additional stop signs installed last week to make them both four-way stop, or sometimes called all-way stop, intersections.
The intersections have been the scenes of several accidents in recent years including one recently that injured several people and took the life of a woman from Albemarle.
Buies Creek Fire Department Chief Justin Riewestahl, who has been involved in an accident at one of the intersections himself, said since Jan. 1of this year 38 percent of his department’s accident calls have been at one of the two intersections where the new stop signs have been installed. He said in the last two years there have been three fatal accidents there including the one on June 6 of this year.
“People go through there and just don’t pay attention to the stop signs,” Chief Riewestahl said. “This has been a long time coming and it is going to make that area safer.”
Mr. Riewestahl and members of his department led an effort to get the stop signs installed, but said it took more than the efforts of his department.
“We spoke to the county folks and they started looking into it,” Chief Riewestahl said. “The citizens in the area have also done a lot to sell it and the local media also helped us. It took a combination of people working together to get this done.”
Large signs are now up warning drivers about the change. Crews beside trucks with flashing lights were helping residents navigate the new traffic pattern Tuesday morning.
Chief Riewestahl said he thinks the community will adjust.
“There might still be a few people who run the intersection, but I think most people will see the signs and stop,” he said.
He said the problem is made worse because drivers going at high rates of speed on N.C. 27 aren’t expecting the stop signs.
Rules At Four-Way Stops
The first vehicle to reach the intersection should move forward first. If two vehicles reach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the right would proceed first. Story and photo courtesy The Daily Record
