A fatal accident Oct. 11 renewed concern about safety on the winding, two-lane Hunter Road, but cost and the difficulty of obtaining rights of way hinder efforts to fix the road.
“It’s definitely a dangerous road,” said Hamilton County Commissioner Chester Bankston, whose district includes the road. “I’ve looked into it and found out there’s been a plan [to improve the road] for 15 years. We’re talking about $15 million to do anything.”
Other officials’ best guesses put the cost at more than $10 million.
Bankston said many people along Hunter aren’t willing to sell the rights of way necessary to make improvements.
Hunter Road links state Highway 58 to Interstate 75 in eastern Hamilton County and connects to two schools: Wallace A. Smith Elementary and Hunter Middle.
County Engineer Todd Leamon said there currently is no funding for a road improvement project.
“There’s quite a bit of right of way to be purchased,” he said.
Mayor Claude Ramsey agreed the cost would be substantial but said the county will widen portions of the road “at some point.”
Other factors besides how the road is configured may contribute to accidents, Ramsey said.
“There’s a huge amount of traffic on that road,” Ramsey said. “In most cases, speed is a cause.”
Sheriff Jim Hammond cautioned against linking conditions on Hunter Road and the Oct. 11 accident that claimed the life of Victor Carr and injured four children.
Hammond said initial reports indicated Carr fell asleep, crossed the center line and crashed into another vehicle.
He acknowledged that safety on Hunter Road “needs to be addressed.”
John Harris, board member and secretary for Ooltewah Citizens for Responsible Growth, said the group is not jumping to conclusions about whether road conditions were a factor in the accident. He said the group doesn’t want to look as if it is capitalizing on a tragedy.
Harris did say safety continues to be a concern and the group has met with Ramsey.
“He’s obviously open to future discussions,” Harris said. “We are aware there’s a financial component to this.”