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County Pushes For 29 & 97 Red Light; Bans Trucks On Crabtree Church But Not Highway 95A
October 18, 2013
The Escambia County Commission has affirmed its support for a red light at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino, voted to close Crabtree Church Road to trucks, and left the northernmost portion of Highway 95A open to truck and commercial traffic.
The commission voted Thursday night to close the full length of Crabtree Church Road from Highway 97 to Sunshine Hill Road to truck traffic, while taking no action on similar ban on Highway 95A from Highway 97 to Highway 29.
District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry asked his fellow commissioners to take no action on the truck ban on Highway 95A until after the county meets with the Florida Department of Transportation to express support and willingness for the county to pay for a red light at Highway 29 and Highway 97.
Barry and Assistant County Administrator Larry Newsome will meet with FDOT in Chipley on November 5, prior to the commission’s next regular meeting.. The commission with then, Barry said, be able to better gauge the state’s support for the red light.
“It could be your neighbor, my neighbor, my family, your family could have a wreck there at that dangerous intersection and get killed,” said C.R. “Billy” Campbell of C&C Hauling said. “We support a red light there that would make it much safer for our trucks to come down there and turn left.”
Residents of the all residential northern stretch of Highway 95A and Highway 29 had pushed commissioners to enforce a truck ban on Highway 95A. Campbell’s trucks, along with vehicles from other companies, currently turn south on Highway 95A to avoid the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection. “It’s the safest route,” Campbell said.
Kay Campbell said there is no other viable alternative road for her company’s trucks to reach Highway 95A from Highway 29 while avoid a turn across traffic at Highway 97. She said the two possible routes, Molino Road and Quintette Road, are 19 feet wide, while her trucks are 9.25 feet wide. That, she said, would leave only about six inches of clearance between two trucks or a truck and an oncoming school bus.
“(Highway) 95A is the only road at this time that is safe for our trucks to come down. We’ve been traveling the road for eight years…and never had a wreck, never had an accident,” Kay Campbell told the Escambia County Commission.
Commissioner Grover Robinson said the entire commission supports the red light. “It does not matter where you are in Escambia County, you’ve probably driven through that intersection. It’s not just District 5 people that drive that intersection,” Robinson said.
By taking no action on a Highway 95A truck ban, there will be no immediate enforcement on the roadway, Barry said. “No Truck” signs have been in place on northern Highway 95A for years, but the county commission never voted to make the truck prohibition official.
Comments
30 Responses to “County Pushes For 29 & 97 Red Light; Bans Trucks On Crabtree Church But Not Highway 95A”
REGARDING:
“There is 65mph before you get to this intersection then it changes to 55mph.Not everyone slows down ”
I like those little radar signs like they have near the schools which tell you what your speed is if you are speeding. A reminder for the driver and those around her.
Please remember even if you survive, a wreck will mess up the rest of your day.
David for good days
Thank you all for your comments……we will never be perfect , but we strive to be the best we can be! As for the comments about C & C Hauling Drivers…..their driving records and our insurance records speak for themselves…..A+…….as for us not caring, our employees will tell you different!! None of you speaking know me personally or you would not be making these comments. Safety is #1 with us , and anyone who knows me will tell you I’m serious about safety and I don’t play with my drivers. So any of you who have a legitimate complaint about one of our trucks please don’t hesitate to call me……but don’t call just because they are going by your house…… I take complaints very serious……but some of you need to get a hobby!!!! One more thing to those of you who don’t think a traffic light will work @ Hwy 29 & Hwy 97…..it might not……but it is our only option if they close 95A to truck traffic, I want our drivers to be as safe as possible. We love our community , that’s why we live here!! Thank you all!!
LITIGATION is the only thing most businesses understand. Maybe someone needs to set up a radar gun at their house because in the early morning those trucks come flying through.
Some of the problem is the posted signs on Hwy 29. There is 65mph before you get to this intersection then it changes to 55mph.Not everyone slows down that includes the cars I tend to be extra cautious to make sure no cars are coming at me on both sides of Hwy29 as I cross either to 97 east or west.It is mostly people trying to move too fast without scoping ahead of themselves before making a turn or intering the intersection. Folks just slow down watch all around you and proceed with caution
Just a thought here, we all know the intersection at 29 ad 97 is awful, we all know the problems with it, and most of us know that putting in a red light really isn’t going to help much. It will change the problems but a red light will not cause un-attentive drivers to suddenly pay attention. It seems though to me the core problem is the big trucks speeding on the back roads. This is for the FDOT to handle. Where are they in this? I assume C&C is paying fair wages for loads so you really can’t expect them or any other company to pay more then the going rate. We can expect the FDOT to do their job and watch the rd better and ticket speeding drivers. If they did this then it would reflect to the companies through insurance prices, points and loss of time. Also folks C&C is not the only co that is driving these back roads.
Signalization will help, but it will not be a cure-all. Any traffic engineer, politician, business, or resident who believes a traffic signal will solve it all is not truly seeing the intersection as it is.
Much of the problem lies in the design of the intersection in relation to the interaction of Crabtree Church Road and the entries into Tom Thumb. Tom Thumb’s US 29/SR 95 entry system is a significant problem. The entry system is trying to accomplish too much in too little frontage. In addition, CCR’s entry to SR 97 is too close to the main intersection.
FDOT, Escambia County, and Tom Thumb/Kroger need to have a meeting. A better scenario would for CCR’s intersection to be moved northward on SR 97 about 500 ft toward Walnut Hill, closing the existing CCR intersection. This would mean ROW acquisition. Additionally, Tom Thumb needs to acquire property to its south and extend its entrance system to the south on US 29/SR 95.
Signalization will likely cost $75K to $90K. And it will not be enough. Without ROW acquisitions and a better long term plan for existing and future driveway entries, the intersection will remain hazardous.
I have been driving up that way for 5 years and I havent seen any truckers cause any wrecks or in fact any trucks involved in a wreck. Maybe I have missed some. But I have seen cars wreck. Dont follow a truck or trailer to close and You probably wont get Your windsheild cracked..most of the time…it still happens once in a while. There is a caution light at 97 and 29..use it like You should. Use common sense and be safe and remember cars , trucks dont cause wrecks..people do. I think some folks just like to holler about stuff..lol. Theres a lot more to worry about in life than a truck or red light..Theres red lights everywhere and folks just run them. I am not sure but I think deer have caused more wrecks and problems than trucks. I think just the last few weeks there have been several cars run off hwy 97…no trucks involved. deer dont drive trucks but cause wrecks. Trucks bring food ,dirt ,gravel that goes into asphalt that make these roads….I love trucks…..KEEP ON TRUCKING. LOL.
The caution light has been there for years if it isn’t broke don’t try to fix it. They are paid by the load which is why they are always in a hurry, maybe instead of buying all the new trucks they should consider paying the drivers more money or by the day . C and C hauling should have an idea how long it takes to get from a pit to the dump site and if you have a truck that did 1 or two more loads than everyone else most of the week there is your reckless driver.
Billy Campbell’ s mixer truck drivers are a lot more cautious because they don’t have to worry about getting another load and do not have to hurry to make a paycheck. I have turned at the intersection many times in a truck, if you pay attention to the other cars and your driving you will make it across safely every time.
Okay. Lets be real. The only way to make drivers safe is to MAKE them. My self, I would rather never see a traffic light. I don’t want to stop! I just love a CAUTION light. Slow down, call my self looking both ways and seeing everything coming, going, turning or what ever is going on.
Lets be honest people, most of the traffic on 29 is NOT doing the speed limit. For the sake of being true to your self and others that may become the object of a safe driver rushing thru a CAUTION light. Let’s put a traffic light at 29 & 97 to save lives, money and the environment (fuel or chemical spills).
And to those that say the CAUTION light is enough, how fast are most of the vehicles going, south bound, on 29? A traffic light will force drivers to obey the speed limit. Maybe save a life?
“we will continue to only run the routes that are the safest routes to our plant”
Well, at least Ms. Campbell was honest and said they will continue to do what is best for their profits and not obey the existing “no trucks” signs. Can someone provide a contact number for a safety representative for the company so I can let them know next time one of their trucks is flying down 95a at 60 miles per hour?
They have every right to have their business, but they also have a responsibility to make sure their drivers are driving safely. I do not feel like they are doing this.
In responce to Van: now you just became one of those not in my back door. QuinetteRd. is not a major road. It is in a neighborhood not intended for through traffic . Leave the decision making to the ECC & DOT ,State of Fl.
I do not think that a red light will make this intersection safer, nor do I think it will save any lives. There is already a caution light here. The most common accidents up here are 1 vehicle accidents caused by people taking their mind off of the road. May be the county should consider moving the trees.
All sounds reasonable
Just be careful
My guess is those drivers are paid by the load, I say pay them by the day and they might not be in such a big hurry. I’m Betting The Dollar Signs are the reason for the Speeders.
Since Kay and Billy are as consuious minded as they have pertraded themselves to be I am sure they monitor their drivers driving habits And if you have a problem with one of them speeding it is your responsibillty to notify C&C Trucking of the infraction before it gets to people being red hot mad at them. All truckers have a right on Hwy 95-A as you do once again They pay more Road Taxes than you or I No road should be restricted Except subdivisions that are exclusive And Hwy 95-A is not one of them. It isnt a subdivision It is people like you and I that happen to live on a road that is still too narrow for our modern cars and trucks. Unless you want to pay more taxes to widen Hwy95-A Slow down
make sure you are not one of these that pulls out in front of a trucker Then have a good day. Thanks Kay & Billy ,William for all you do.
@well – true, they seem to be going faster. But when I am doing 50 on 29 in Cantonment and they FLY past me, running me off the road…that is def them actually speeding. their main goal is to get from point a to point b as fast as humanly possible.
I live on Jacks Branch up toward Schifko. 18 wheelers have been using this road at night for a week or so. What’s up with that?
I hear them now after dark and right before dawn.
1st The bigger a vehicle the faster it appears to be going. Not saying some don’t speed but maybe not all.
2nd The state and county have a grand plan for crabtree to widen and add bicycle lanes. Bet you still don’t want trucks on it then.
Possible solution, stop repairing,resurfacing or paving roads. The rougher the better, no speeding and no desire to go down them. LOWER TAXES.
I want to know why Law Enforcement is not taking a more aggressive stance against these speeding trucks? They roar up and down our roads oblivious to speed limits and operate with impunity.
Since LE appears impotent in this matter, an effective approach might be to contact the Insurance Underwriters Association and provide them with company names and vehicle numbers.
We live here, we vote and pay taxes. If our elected officials are unable to act, then let us excuse them come election time and see if a successor can bring positive change.
C&C drivers need to learn how to drive without almost killing people before I will listen to anything they have to say. I have just about been hit 2 different times by a C&C truck because they are in SUCH a flipping hurry regardless of where they are going. One time a truck came about 6 inches from side swiping me, the second time I had to run completely off the road to avoid being creamed because the jerk from C&C was clearly in a breakneck hurry. I understand why the residents of 95A are upset with C&C drivers…they are rude and don’t take other people’s lives into account when they drive like imbeciles. 95A is not a major thoroughfare, but 29 is. Therefore, 29 should be the road that the trucks are forced to use. Widen Quintette out to 29 and STRICTLY enforce the no trucks on 95A.
if the cops would look for the C&C trucks and start issuing a bunch of tickets and hurt their pocket books over and over, something would change because not only would they have to pay the money for that, their insurance would go WAYYYY up too!
We at American Concrete Supply and C & C Hauling Company would like to thank the members of our community that gave their support , signed petitions , made phone calls to me & commissioners , went to meetings, took their time out to talk to us. We were happy to meet all of you and hope to continue a relationship with the community. We will continue to push the county for a traffic light @ Hwy.29 & Hwy.97 and until we succeed , we will continue to only run the routes that are the safest routes to our plant. Again , Thank you all!!
~~~~Special Thank you to William , for keeping us all informed of these events.
Who permitted C&C Hauling and the other truck-related industries to be established on 95-A in the first place? Residents in this area often have to walk or bicycle to their destinations and it is VERY dangerous with the trucks sharing the road. A compromise would be to develop a bike path for bikes AND pedestrians along with enforcement of the speed limit! Thank you!
Jane…your right! Politics and business..
I have a novel idea.. How about we enforce the speed limit!!! If people slowed to 55 like what is posted it would be a lot safer.
It would be wise to install a light t the Molino Rd and 29 intersection , traffic barrelling over that low hill
southbound is treacherous at this intersetion, rarely is the 55 mile per hour limit obeyed through Molino, a full time traffic cop could more than earn his wages in a few days on this stretch of road.
I will absolutely not support this until C&C learns how to drive the speed limit on 95A. I see C&C everyday fly past my house with there trucks. I’m tired of it, and so are my neighbors! I’ve been to talk with the management and nothing has changed.
If the business located at this intersection was not there, a light would not be needed. This business is the most contributing factor to accidents there. It’s as simple as that.
I sure hope that I’m wrong, but I’ve predicted all along that if you put a red light there at the turn you will see accidents all up and down rte 97 from fast drivers trying to pass slower ones in the wrong places. Crabtree Church road and the back entrance to the gas station ought to be closed where it meets 97 and rerouted to further up the road, it’s just too close to the intersection and you will have problems with people making left turns from 97 blocking all of the traffic trying to come through the light. I believe that you’ve just made a bad situation worse!
BAD IDEA! Traffic lights and speed don’t mix!! The slight rise in elevation just north of this intersection creates a hazard for cars crossing the highway. Installing a traffic light will create another hazard for south bound traffic, STOPPED CARS! Relocate where Crabtree Church Road intersects 97. This will eliminate the pile up of cars pulling off 29 onto 97 and then trying to turn on Crabtree Church Road. A traffic light will only compound this problem. There also needs to be merge lanes for north bound traffic on 29. Adding a warning sign North of the intersection to alert drivers of a” DANGEROUS INTERSECTION AHEAD” would be another option before installing a light.
We have begged for a traffic light at 97 and Hwy 29 for a long time. But it took a trucking company telling them how dangerous this intersection is before they would listen. Why didn’t they listen to the people who told them how dangerous this intersection is? How many people had to be injured or killed to get attention to this problem? How much damage to vehicles had to happen before they paid attention to the problem?