Bradley County sheriff urges Walker Valley Road work

photo Bradley County, Tenn., Sheriff Eric Watson, speaks during a news conference at Walker Valley High School about traffic accidents at the intersection of Walker Valley Road and Memorial Lauderdale Highway in northern Bradley County. Bradley County Commissioner Thomas Crye, left, and state Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown, joined Watson and school officials in a call for improved safety measures on the highway, which forms part the State Route 308 corridor.

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Bradley County Sheriff Eric Watson has been joined by state Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown, and several local officials in calling for quick action to deter traffic accidents occurring in the vicinity of Walker Valley High School.

On Tuesday, Watson held a news conference at the high school to underscore requests for safety improvements along Lauderdale Memorial Highway, which forms part of the State Route 308 corridor that stretches between Interstate 75 and North Lee Highway in northern Bradley County.

"Being safe is not always convenient, but to be serious about fixing the problem, we sometimes have to sacrifice some convenience," said Watson.

Watson requested that the Tennessee Department of Transportation consider lowering the speed limit from 55 mph to 45 mph in the vicinity of the Walker Valley Road intersection with the highway, the site of two accidents last month that resulted in injuries.

Since the end of 2012, there have been 16 traffic accidents at the intersection, with seven involving injuries, Watson said.

"Most of these incidents have been because of poor judgment of the driver," Watson said.

A much more comprehensive solution involves transforming the two-lane highway into a five-lane highway, said Watson.

Memorial Highway was simply not built to accommodate all the industrial development it now serves and Walker Valley High School is the only high school in the area without a five-lane road.

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A site visit will be made by a TDOT safety team to assess possible improvements to the intersection in the first or second quarter of 2015, said Jennifer Flynn, spokeswoman for the agency, in a recent letter to Watson.

Howell said he had conversations with TDOT Commissioner John Schroer's office and has urged the agency to move sooner on the problem.

"This is serious," said Howell. "I think we all agree that this traffic issue here is probably -- if it isn't already -- shaping up to be the most serious traffic congestion area in the county."

Watson said he also is seeking short-term improvements, including a crossing guard at the high school, a partnership with area businesses and increased traffic details by the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

By staggering start and dismissal times, industrial sites such as Wacker Chemie and Amazon could reduce the 1,800 vehicles which flow along the highway during peak weekday morning and afternoon traffic periods, said Watson.

Joint meetings between government, education and business officials regarding Lauderdale Memorial Highway traffic concerns are planned in the near future, he said.

Watson also encouraged drivers not to used secondary roads like Walker Valley Road to access the highway, citing lack of traffic signals at smaller intersections.

"We want to keep people alive," said Watson.

Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.

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