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Too Many Wrecks: Escambia County Seeks To Make Improvements To Jacks Branch Road
January 16, 2013
Escambia County is applying for a grant to construct paved shoulders along a six mile stretch of Jacks Branch Road due to the higher than normal number of wrecks on the roadway.
The paved shoulders would run from Barrineau Park Road near Molino to Muscogee Road in Cantonment. The county is asking the State of Florida Department of Transportation to pick up the tab, up to $3.7 million, for the project.
The Florida DOT previously notified Escambia County that Jacks Branch Road qualifies for the funding through a state Highway Safety Program. The justification was based upon the traffic crash rate for this portion of Jacks Branch Road.
Picture top and inset: A Molino man died in this 2010 crash after he hit a guardrail on approach to Jacks Branch Road and plunged into a creek. Pictured below: One person was injured in this October 2012 accident on Jacks Branch Road near Perdido Lake Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
35 Responses to “Too Many Wrecks: Escambia County Seeks To Make Improvements To Jacks Branch Road”
If two school buses can’t pass each other going opposite directions without running off the road their is a problem.. I’ve lived down here for 12yrs and it needs pavin no if ands or buts
Your right Everette, but alot of drivers have a lack of common sense, there is nothing wrong with this Hwy. or the bridges on it.
I travel that road several times a week. Just need to slow it down and use common sense.
No they would rather waste 80 grand on a tiny bridge on Sunshine Hill Rd!
Thank you Bobby; you are right. I have not seen a Sheriff’s Deputy run radar in a long time.
It seems funny to me how many “Conservative /Christian/ Patriots” speed. If speeding in the US came to a halt tomorrow, oil demand would dip and we wouldn’t have high gas prices and the death tolls on the highways would plumment. Then there’s that trade deficit we run every year mainly due to oil imports. There’s nothing conservative or patriotic about speeding, especially in a gas hog. There’s nothing Christian about speeding for numerous reasons.
Based on my experience most Americans speed. Unfortunately any inforcement of the speeding laws is extremely politically unpopular due to this.
It’s a lot cheaper to get a bunch of deputies and troopers over there to write A LOT of tickets. That will solve the problem just as well and save the taxpayers a lot of money.
Also add in Pine Barren road for any kind of improvement. Just pave the whole thing, and whatever else needed.
I agree with Russ from Barrineau Park, as I too am Barrineau Park, drive this road everyday, 5-6 days per week. I never had a problem driving on this pereticular Hwy., the only real problem I have is with the insane drivers driving like there is no tomarrow. Let’s see and think about this, most of them are one vehicle accidents, so that tells me driver inattention, driving toooo fast and or driving intoxicated. Nothing wrong with this Hwy..
In an effort to address all safety concerns, the County has decided to widen ALL roads to 6 lanes, complete with foam lane dividers. In addition, speedbumps will be installed every 100yds, and traffic control devices every mile. Next fiscal year, we will add stadium lighting to all roadways, and assign 89 new Troopers to vigorously patrol for wayward drivers.
Unfortunately, your tax bill will increase tenfold in order to fund this.
Anything else?
Its funny how all u citizens jump on a band wagon. I was raised in Barrineau park and have driven this road for over 25 years and never had a issue. It sounds like a bunch of city folks that have moved to the country and now u want to be like city life.
Nice road to pass on double yellow line , plus going up hill ,seen it many, many , times. People are always in a big hurry,if ya cn’t make it to work on time w/o driving like an insane person, leave 2 hrs. early. Alcohol it seems is another problem !
its about time someone is trying to do something with that narrow road that is always full of logging and dump trucks that take their part of the road right down the middle. you end up running off the road to keep from hitting them. I hope the county will also do something on Hwy 196 and 99 going to bay springs. those road are just as bad . I still don’t know why the county widen the road on 196 just to the creek bridge and then stopped. hwy 99 contnects to 196 before you get the pedido river, then it is worst from there to bay springs you are off the road half the time or hitting pot holes the rest of the time. how many wrecks to we have to have to get those roads fixed. and a red light at 29 and the atmore hwy.
It’s the ROAD’S fault? Wow. So if everyone drives the speed limit, pays attention to what they are doing, obeys the traffic laws, they STILL will wreck because of the road??
RiP Willie <3
I live on Jacks Branch Road. It is true that if you see a car coming and you pull out they are going to on your bumper in a heartbeat. It is also true that there are ALOT of crossing the center line whether it is a log truck or a car. Whether it is in – a curve or or a straight away. It does need re-paving and shoulders. However, i truly believe that if all travelers of Jacks Branch would slow down a bit it would be a little safer. I sit on my front porch alot and watch vehicles of all shapes and sizes fly by my house. When I take the garbage can to the road or get the mail I stand back and wait until the traffic is clear otherwise I’m afraid of being hit. I also wait until there are no cars approaching before I pull out. That way I don’t slow anyone down. I also see alot of law enforcement on Jacks Branch. Sometimes traveling and sometimes sitting but never do I see anyone pulled over.
If grants are being given for problem areas, one is desperately needed for Cerny Rd and Blue Angel. The road needs to be straightened out and widened. How many more people have to die at this intersection before that happens. The last two people that died were racing, total stupidity on their part but several other people have been killed or badly injured through no fault of their own. There needs to be exit lanes for the subdivision located directly across from this insection which is Yorkshire Estates. Trying to exit onto Blue Angel is a nightmare, no way to get out in the mornings except to turn right and immediately get into the turn lane facing south on Blue Angel which is a death trap. The on coming traffic is coming fast at an angle in a curve and that is how two teenage girls were killed last year and if you are traveling north on Blue Angel at this intersection and have to turn left into the subdivision there is no turn lane so you just sit out in the middle of the road waiting and praying you do not get rear ended. Although the road was somewhat widened in the past due to people actually driving into the first house in the subdivision numerous times it was not nearly enough of a change. Straightening the road is very feasible since there is a wooded area on the right going north that could be used for this purpose. Further up Blue Angel where the new subdivisons are located they have been given plenty of turn lanes and medians so they can exit onto Blue Angel without injury. I also believe a traffic light would be very benefical. Blue Angel and Muldoon have a traffic light and they do not have nearly the problems at that intersection plus that intersection does not have the disadvantage of a sharp curve. This problem has been on going for ever and nothing has ever been done to even try to correct the danger.
I live off Jack’s Branch, the road is too narrow for all the larger vehicles on the road today. The shoulders are crumbling and unsafe. Although work needs to be done the main problem is the people use it like a race track, at night you should hear the traffic. It isn’t people going to work at the worse hours. As another person said you can’t hardly pull onto the road without someone on your bumper.
@kathy
“use your common sence”?
We are talking about Cantonment remember. Bwa ha ha! No offense meant because I live up here too and know the people all too well. LOL
As usual, with too many people come too many problems.
All us old timers from out this way have never had too many problems driving fast on Jack’s Branch Road. Lower the speed limit because some folks have trouble on our narrow little country road? Pshaw. You should have stayed in town.
Go ahead, re-pave it, widen it, put some danged bicycle lanes alongside it for all I care, now. Just remember some of us have been driving it since it was a “slag” road, and would chew up children & pets just for stumbling on it. If you pull out in front of me, don’t slow down.
i live on jacks branch rd . not only does the road need widing it also needs repaving .
I live on Jacks Branch and there are definitely some spots that could use widening due to the dramatic drop off. However, most of the wrecks could be avoided just by doing the speed limit and paying attention! I don’t know how many times I’ve had to slam on brakes, swerve, lay on the horn or whatever, just avoid being hit head on in the S curves. I’ll end up being the one getting hurt because of someone else’s ignorance!
I live on the upper end of Jacks Branch and the speeders go by so fast, it’s hard to even get your mail out of the mailbox without being blown back to the front porch. I say 45 mph. As an observer, I can also tell you the MAJORITY by far of the speeders are young men, under 30, in trucks. That’s a big surprise.
Don’t just fix the shoulder of the road, if the road is bad and not wide enough, re-pave the road and make it wider. It’s better to spend the money and do it right than to ‘patch’ a problem.
And, if there are cops that are enforcing the speed limit, I haven’t seen a single car pulled over in years. Part of the problem is people driving too fast for the condition of the road.
People need to slow down, They know that road has alot of curves. its like a race track. use your common sence. slow down.and the wrecks will stop.
If someone thinks this is a good idea to widen a stretch of road, I invite them to come up to Hwy 99 north of Hwy 97 all the way to the Alabama State line. A complete waste of money. We drove on that road for years without any problems and the speed was 45 mph. A county dump truck and a school bus bumped mirrors and here we go.They added a small apron on the side without proper foundation and the road is worse than ever. Nobody pays attention to speed limits everyone drives 75 mph. I am quite sure if cantonment needs more problems the county commissioners can fill the bill.
They should make it a toll rd. Those that use jacks branch can help pay for this uneccesary project, and it will lower the traffic. Or recognize the root of the problem, unsafe driving, and patrol and enforce the traffic laws that promote safe driving.
Yeah that’s it, the road is too narrow! It can’t possibly be bad drivers. Good luck with that. You can make the lanes a hundred feet wide and people will still find a way to drive into the ditch. Good luck. :-/
Please do lower the speed limit!!!
I live on Anniebell (between the “S” curves) and I can’t get turned onto the road before I have someone almost rear end me. It needs to be 35 mph from Muscoggee rd to River Annex rd!
There is a underlying reason for this! Remember the NEW Road they are going to cut through in the area!! Never wanted to improve the road before why now!!
Please DO NOT lower the speed limit on this road! It will cause more problems than now. I have been passed by people doing 70 on that road, and almost hit head-on because idiots are going too fast around the curve and can’t control their vehicles. People are going to go as fast as the want regardless of what the speed limit is, and lowering the speed limit on that road will cause more accidents by some people obeying the law while the majority does as it pleases. If you don’t like to do 55, go find a different road to drive on that has a speed limit you are comfortable with. That is a major thoroughfare for commuters on the way to town, and traffic runs smoothly most days. I do think that repaving and widening the shoulders would help immensely. That way when someone does make a mistake there is a little room for correction, where now if you run near the shoulder you get snatched off the road because there is no room for error due to the little shoulders that are breaking away. I drive the speed limit each morning with no issues until someone pulls out in front of me doing 35 or 40 (ridiculous and ignorant) so as long as you follow the rules there are no issues. Quit trying to fix things that ain’t broke! (Except for the paving issue – that is broke and def needs fixing!)
Just don’t lower the speed limit after the paved shoulders please!!!!
How many people have to die or be injured at the intersection of Hwy29/97 before someone fixes that problem?
Maybe the NASCAR SAFER Barriers would be more appropriate considering the speeds involved.
The speed limit on Jack’s Branch Road should be lowered from 55 to 45 miles per hour and enforced.
I like to drive our secondary roads at 45 mph. I see people on Jack’s Branch and 99A come running up behind me at speeds that I estimate to be around 60 to 70 mph. It is often difficult to pass on these highways so I often just signal, pull off the shoulder and let them have the road.
Law Enforcement could issue a lot of speeding and wreckless driving citations on Jack’s Branch Road.
its about time they did something about that . jacks branch rd has had problems for years. i was in the fire department back in the late 90’s and i can remember a lot of wrecks form muskogee rd. to the end of jacks branch rd. all from over steering because the road out in the north end of the county dont get the attention that they need. so maybe they will do something about it and people out here can have a safe road or roads to travel on.