A van waits at the intersection of Walker Valley Road and Lauderdale Memorial Highway, which is part of the State Route 308 corridor in Bradley County, Tenn. The intersection has the been the site of recent accidents.
Jennifer Flynn of TDOTCLEVELAND, Tenn. - Tennessee Department of Transportation officials have announced that the intersection of Lauderdale Memorial Highway and Walker Valley Road is on track to receive improvements in signs and pavement markings.
The intersection near Walker Valley High School has been the site of 16 traffic accidents since late 2012, Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson said at a Nov. 18 news conference at the school. Seven of the incidents involved injuries, he said.
"We plan to work with local Bradley County officials in an effort to make signing and pavement marking improvements at the intersection as soon as the schedule allows," said Alan Wolfe, regional traffic engineer with TDOT, in email correspondence with state Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown.
A TDOT interview with the owner of a business located at the intersection indicated that "almost all of the crashes" there were because of northbound traffic running the stop sign at Lauderdale Memorial Highway, said Jennifer Flynn, TDOT community relations officer.
The business owner told Wolfe that "it's not unusual for them to see a dozen vehicles per day run that stop sign," Flynn said.
Watson said most of the intersection's accidents were caused by "poor judgment" by drivers.
While this is not the first time TDOT personnel have conducted onsite visits in the area, it is the first time the agency has been told about problems with people running the stop sign at Walker Valley Road, Flynn said.
TDOT's Traffic Engineering Division immediately began to work up a proposed signage and pavement-marking improvement plan, she said.
"If the information we received ... from the local business folks at the intersection was correct, these improvements should address the major issue causing crashes at this intersection," Wolfe said. "Since all of the signing and marking improvements would be on the county road, they will contact Bradley County officials regarding the installation of these proposed improvements."
He said a roadway safety audit will be scheduled early next year to review the intersection and Lauderdale Memorial Highway as a whole.
Bradley County officials will be invited to attend the site visit, which will include TDOT personnel from Nashville and Chattanooga, Flynn said.
Wolfe also addressed questions by Watson and other local officials about the possibility of lowering the highway's 55 mph speed limit in the vicinity of Walker Valley High School.
An engineering study, which includes a radar speed survey, will be required to determine whether such action will improve traffic safety on Lauderdale Memorial Highway, said Wolfe, who added that the agency cannot arbitrarily change speed limit signs.
Artificially lowering speed limits actually can be counterproductive to controlling travel speeds and improving safety, Wolfe said.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.