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FDOT, Escambia Continuing With Plans For Traffic Light, Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Redesign
March 17, 2014
Talks between Escambia County and the Florida Department of Transportation are continuing toward a goal of multiple changes at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino — including a red light and redesign of a portion of the intersection.
Escambia County Interim Administrator Larry Newsom met with FDOT officials last week in Chipley to discuss changes and improvements for the intersection to lower the number of traffic crashes.
A full FDOT study of the intersection concluded that a traffic signal should be installed. The study also found that intersection should be redesigned to eliminate the “5-leg intersection configuration” caused by a driveway connection to the Tom Thumb by a combination of strong access control at the driveway connection and a reduction of the existing median opening width.
Last October, the Escambia County Commission affirmed its support for improvements at the intersection and expressed a willingness for the county to pay for the red light at the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection.
Newsom said the state is currently in the design phase for the intersection, and that process is expected to continue for the next three months with input from both FDOT and the county.
“The much needed side street connection of Crabtree Church Road may be addressed on parallel basis with the intersection improvements, or as a secondary project. Escambia County intends to apply for a Community Traffic Safety Team Grant (CTST) to fund construction of this project. However, if we are unsuccessful in that attempt, funds from the voter-approved Local Option Sales Tax will be allocated to facilitate implementation as quickly as possible,” Newsom said.
FDOT will install a traffic signal at the intersection to address safety issues, with the design funded by the state and the constructed funded by Escambia County. A construction scheduled has not yet been established.
“I believe that, with the support of FDOT District III Secretary Tommy Barfield and coordination with the State Secretary Ananth Prasad, we can expect a significant amount of investment to be made in Escambia County in the near future,” Newsom added.
The plans to improve and add a signal at the intersection came after residents of the all residential northern stretch of Highway 95A from Highway 29 to Highway 97 unsuccessful pushed commissioners to enforce a truck ban on that portion of Highway 95A. Trucks currently turn south on Highway 95A at Highway 29 to avoid the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection altogether over safety concerns.
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, Sen. Greg Evers, Rep. Clay Ingram, Rep. Doug Broxson, Rep. Mike Hill, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Senate President Don Gaetz have also advocated for FDOT to make safety improvements at the intersection.
Pictured: Traffic crashes at the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
21 Responses to “FDOT, Escambia Continuing With Plans For Traffic Light, Hwy 29, Hwy 97 Redesign”
I always stop at stop signs. It is the law. When you are getting off of 97 onto 29 south, you are suppose to use the acceleration lane and then merge onto 29. Almost no one does this. They run the stop sign. They don’t care about south bound traffic. I drive a semi and I can tell you it doesn’t matter if I get over in the fast lane to let them out, they run the stop sign two at a time and take up both lanes. This leaves south bound traffic no place to go. What you need is a 24/7 police car passing out tickets to greedy people. There is nothing that important that you can’t stop and wait your turn and think about others for a change.
We keep talking about a light at this intersection, and maybe that would be helpful. But what about people’s driving habits? The other day my husband and I were one of two vehicles in the northbound lane and there was another car in the southbound lane. Not one but FOUR motorcycles ran the stop sign and barely made it across all four lanes of traffic between the cars. I was almost hit by a log truck one evening when a semi felt the stop sign was optional as well. Would the same individuals have run a light? Very likely. A light might help, but it will not completely control lousy driving.
“MMJ”
Considering the volume of traffic in the area, a traffic light at this intersection would be a disaster for morning commuters going south. Those red octagonal signs have not worked. Why not close the existing crossover, making it impossible to turn left at that point? Install a high-volume left turn lane at Bett Raines Rd. for traffic going north or east. Install a high-volume left turn lane at the next crossover north of the intersection for people wanting to access Hwy 97. If this was implemented, people would only have to look one way! Another thing, get rid of the access road to the Tom Thumb from Crabtree Church Road. Just sayin’……….
Just thinking out of the box here, but how would an overpass for hwy 29 would work out? I know it wouldn’t happen in a million years, but any thoughts on this?
Won’t help.
I agree that it needs a re-design…if you are headed west on 97 and cross over 29 there isn’t even a turn lane to turn left into the service station or the road that runs behind it…just plain stupid. There was a bad wreck tonight at Molino road and Hwy 29 people do need to slow down..a light might help. There will always be someone apposed to change but sometimes it is good.
JimD, the speed limit there IS 55 MPH. It’s 55 MPH from about a quarter of a mile north of the intersection to about a quarter of a mile south of Fran’s. As for fixing the cause of the accidents there, it’s the drivers that need fixing not the road.
The traffiic light will not help they will try to beat the light and still get run over.
It’s not the trucks it is the DUMB drivers that thinks they can out run you.
I totally agree that this is a VERY dangerous intersection and needs a stop light .
Traffic is going in too many directions and some don’t care, some don”t know who goes first, and some will break the law, no matter who has the right-of-way.
I think although it might prove to be a little inconvenient because were used to making turns at our own leisure, it’s the safest thing for all concerned. They just need to set the light timer to a reasonable amount of time for cars to stop and turn so that traffic doesn’t get backed up on the one lane roads on Hwy.97. Just my 2 cents worth!
They really do need to put a light over there. That is a dangerous intersection.
Isn’t that area 35 MPH or 45MPH through that section, I know it is not 55 MPH? I know the speed changed just before you get to the tree line if you are driving south. So for McDavid Resident it is already a speed trap.
A stop sign is not going to help either. Agree with Won’t Help, people are just not paying attention to the car in front of them, going too fast and yes texting and talking on the phone. Put a red light there and the next thing will be people running the light.
Just Listening – Actually, a round-a-bout is a good idea, but most people would not be able to figure it out. With a round-a-bout, traffic moves all of the time, not stopping, people coming into the round-a-bout have to stop and if you’re in it already, you have the right-of-way. It would slow down traffic, allow for multiple accesses into a single intersection and keep traffic flowing all of the time.
I don’t understand. 1) Drivers on Hwy 29 have the right of way. 2) Drivers coming off the side roads go second. 3) Drivers coming out of the driveway of Tom thumb go last. Why do traffic laws not apply at here?
Good stuff . Glad to see them doing this even if it saves one life it’s done it’s purpose . Thankful they are working on a plan to help reduced accidents there.
Awww–why don’t we just create a giant round about and really confuse everyone. You would have to install a concrete wall ten feet thick and ten feet high to stop some people and get their attention. Just how many accidents and life’s lost needs to be before the state understands that something must be done. Just make it simple at 55 (AKA 70+ MPH) people don’t need to be more confused.
PS: I got a place for all the caution lights they have left over. Just let me know and I will tell you.
I agree with Won’t Help. This intersectoin is really not bad at all. Bad drivers ruin it for the people with working eyes. Timid drivers also add to the confusion and accidents.
This whole intersection is a nightmare. Let’s just hope this helps instead of making it worse. There are so many accidents there and so many people hurt and so much damage done, I suspect it is a combination of people speeding, people not seeing someone coming and the fact that you have to look in 6 directions at once to avoid an accident. And there is a school up the road and another road intersecting with 97 very close to this intersection.
Won’t Help is exactly right, , Use the acronym AGKLM
which stands for All Good Kids Love Milk
1 Aim high in steering= Look Further ahead
2 Get the big picture
Be aware of your surroundings
3 Keep your eyes moving
Don’t just look straight ahead look left , right and behind you
4 Leave your self an out.
Always know how to get out of being boxed in
5 Make sure they see you
Use your lights , make eye contact with other vehicles
THIS IS UPS teaches it drivers in a 40 week long training course which is mandatory to become a driver.
Why a light? Speed Limit is 55 and we have two Stop signs, NONE are acknowledged. Put a Speed Trap there and take care of those that are in access of the posted speed limit and those doing a rolling stop – ticket them!
If you pull up to either stop sign, correctly, you can see all four lanes of traffic. If you are sitting in the median correctly, you can see the lanes you need to be seeing.
Drivers make the intersection dangerous, not the design!
A traffic light will NOT help. Accidents aren’t caused because of poor design, they’re caused by poor drivers! People drive distracted, texting, too fast, and don’t use caution in poor conditions, or in GOOD conditions!! If people would pay attention to the speed limit, and if it were enforced (because let’s face it no one drives 45 through that intersection), the likelihood of some of these accidents may go down. Bottom line is, intersections don’t cause accidents. Poor driving does.
How long ago was it that this intersection was reconfigured where TWO lanes from 97 to 29 were added but just ONE lane from 29 onto 97 remained? Traffic can back up onto Hwy. 29 waiting for vehicles to turn left onto Crabtree Church Road or into the Tom Thumb parking lot. This was and is a very poor design and money was spent to reconfigure/resurface it only now to be changed again!