May 4, 2023
By: Dwayne Page
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has given the green light for the installation of red lights at the intersection of Highway 70 & 83 (New Home/Allen Ferry Road) near Kilgore’s Restaurant.
Although it may be several months before they’re actually installed, State Representative Michael Hale told WJLE Wednesday that TDOT has approved the project after conducting a traffic study at the busy and dangerous intersection which is about to get even busier with the opening soon of a new Bizzy Mart convenience market/truck stop there.
“I got word this week that the red-lights request has been approved. Its about a $150,000 project but its been sent to TDOT headquarters to get the process underway. I am very thankful because this is a very busy highway and intersection. The state will install the lights and then they will be turned over to the city to maintain like all other traffic lights in town. TDOT has not given a time frame for when the lights will be installed. It may be a year or more down the road. Sometimes with government the process is slow and takes time,” said Hale.
In a letter to Representative Hale, Landon Castleberry, P.E. TDOT Regional Traffic Engineer wrote “TDOT performed the turning movement count and the signal warrant analysis for the intersection. We concluded that enough traffic exists at the intersection to warrant a traffic signal. What’s more, we pulled crash reports from our Department of Safety database and found that the intersection has a crash rate that qualifies it for safety funding. This is very helpful because the cost of installing a traffic signal can easily fetch around $150k. Moving forward with this good news, my intent is to submit this intersection to my superiors in TDOT HQ to approve safety funds to signalize,” wrote Castleberry.
Over the years this intersection has become a hot spot for car crashes including at least one fatality even with caution lights there. An 83-year-old woman died in a wreck there in April 2015. With another business opening up and added traffic creating more congestion, both County Mayor Matt Adcock and Smithville Mayor Josh Miller sent letters in January to State Senator Janice Bowling, State Representative Michael Hale, and officials of the Tennessee Department of Transportation to make a formal request for the red lights. TDOT responded that a traffic study would first have to be conducted to determine a need for the lights. Both Mayors Adcock and Miller said they are pleased and appreciative that TDOT has approved the project and they wish to thank Representative Hale for his help.