Marion County raises speed limit on Greentown, Browns Hollow roads

photo Louin Campbell, left, with Marion County Commissioner Mack Reeves.

JASPER, Tenn. - Marion County residents along Greentown and Browns Hollow roads came together to get the speed limits changed on those streets. And they won.

Last week, County Commissioner Mack Reeves made a motion for the commission to change the speed limit on both roads to 40 mph, and the board voted unanimously to do so.

The change went into effect immediately.

"Browns Hollow has just been resurfaced most all the way by the [county] highway department," Reeves said. "It's a minimum of 18 feet wide with the proper striping, so it can handle a higher rate [of speed]."

A petition had circulated among residents of the area requesting that the commission increase the speed limit to "at least 35 mph or higher" on both roads.

"The speed limit was changed in 2009 to 25 miles per hour, but the signs got torn down as soon as they were put up," Reeves said. "[County road workers] came out a few weeks ago and put some back up."

The speed limit was changed to 25 mph back then because the roads "weren't in the shape they're in now," said Commissioner Gene Hargis.

"That's a nice road there now," said Commissioner Tommy Thompson. "They just got through repaving it."

He agreed that an increase in the speed limit would be appropriate since the roads have been fixed.

Commission Chairman Les Price asked if the board needed the approval or recommendation for the speed limit changes from County Road Superintendent Neal Webb, who wasn't present at the time.

"I don't want to speak for [Webb], but if I were sitting in that seat, I would follow whatever the legislative body decreed," County Mayor John Graham said. "That's the way the law reads."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.

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