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Century Pleads With FDOT To Fix Problem Curve After Another Truck Overturns
June 22, 2016
Century Mayor Freddie McCall stood in the closed northbound lanes of North Century Boulevard late Tuesday morning, snapping photos of an overturned 18-wheeler.
“It got another one,” McCall said, referring to a curve in North Century Boulevard at Jackson Street. Less than 24 hours before Tuesday’s accident, the town council sat down with Virgie Bowen of the Florida Department of Transportation, asking for FDOT’s to fix the curve before the next accident.
McCall said the slope and design of the roadway in the curve is such that trucks in the outer lane have a difficult time navigating the curve at the posted speed limit.
“I don’t know how many trucks I’ve seen (in the curve) where the wheels come off the ground, but most of them make it,” he said.
Tuesday morning’s overturned truck was hauling bales of cotton. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 30-year old Aref Alday of Miami traveled off the roadway, causing his 2000 Freightliner semi-truck to overturn. He was cited for careless driving. Aref Alday was not injured; his passenger, 53-year old Amnerys Alday was transported to Jay Hospital with minor injuries.
Eight days ago, the truck that overturned in the curve was hauling logs, a previous accident involved a truckload of peanuts.
“One day we are not going to be so lucky and it’s going to be hazardous materials,” McCall told FDOT’s Bowen Monday night, a sentiment he echoed Tuesday morning. “One day it’s going to be a chemical truck or gasoline tanker, and a lot of people are going to get hurt, or somebody’s going to get killed.”
“It does not take long standing there to see that the vehicles, especially big trucks, are leaning in the curve” Bowen said after visiting the curve. She said Monday night that she would take the issued back to FDOT engineers for review.
By Tuesday, after the additional crash, McCall said he had been contacted by FDOT and had been told that an engineer would visit the site on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s accident also damaged the controls for a city sewage lift station located on the corner of North Century Boulevard. Repairs were expected to be made before and sewage overflowed. After a 2010 overturned truck accident, an insurance company settled with the town for $190,250 to relocated most of the lift station’s components underground.
Pictured top: An overturned truck on North Century Boulevard at Jackson Street late Tuesday morning. Pictured inset: A damaged sewage lift station. Pictured below: Three previous overturned truck accidents at the same location. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “Century Pleads With FDOT To Fix Problem Curve After Another Truck Overturns”
The problem isn’t “the curve”. The problem is truckers taking the curve too fast. Driving a semi too fast IS very dangerous. The speed limit through Century is 35MPH. They would not flip over if they were being careful .
Hundreds of trucks travel this same route safely every single day, thousands of cars do the same. Why do we need additional signage and restrictions for the majority of us who don’t obey traffic laws and not crash everyday?
Left lane, right lane, big rig, mini cooper, doesn’t matter if you are driving properly.
All I can say is people slow your tail down! You will get there when you get there. And speed plays a very big part of this problem.
It’s not all about speed, folks. Yes, if a semi driver is speeding, then it will play a factor. But if y’all don’t drive a truck, know a driver personally, or actively and often discuss it with a driver, then y’all need to be a bit more respectful and open minded. I know speeding is a very dangerous and not enforced problem in our little town. But some semi’s are hauling hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds, stacked up inside a long, narrow trailer. The way the curve it, throws that weight off balance. It does it even in my car, to the stuff in the backseat and/or trunk, so I know it’s rough for eighteen wheelers. Those of us who live here know how dangerous this curve is, and to watch out for it. BUT, a lot of drivers cut through Century to get to Pensacola and I-10. Unless they’ve traveled that particular route before, they’re not going to know to it’s coming. And if I’m not mistaking, there’s signs (north bound I think), stating for trucks to stay in the outside lane, and there was a rumor floating around (and I don’t know if it’s true) that DOT was going to start fining drivers for driving in the inside lane. That doesn’t help matters at all. When it comes down to it, folks, yes. Slow down if you’re speeding, watch for signs, and please be careful. I just spent a lot of time at home recently after being away for a year, and I swear some of y’all are more close minded now than you ever were. Stay classy, Century.
STOP blaming semi truck drivers. If you don’t drive one, then you have no say-so to accuse them of these accidents. We know how to drive, but the FDOT engineers who designed the road don’t know what they are doing. The signage needs to be changed. I drive in the left lane and will continue to do so every time I travel this area.
If something is not done soon, a hazmat load will end up overturned and then you have evacuations and possibly injuries.
OK, THAT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CURVE. TE STATE NEEDS TO STEP IN AND PROTECT IS ALL BY FIXING IT. I’VE BEEN THROUGH THERE MANY TIMES AND ABOUT RAN OFF THE ROAD ON A FEW OCCASIONS.
Sorry but it is not the roads fault. Yes the road is not what it should be but if the road were the problem and not speeding we would have dozens of trucks roll every week. Certainly several a day. No properly operated and loaded truck at the appropriate speed for the load would roll on that curve.
The way to stop this is to ticket the driver, he did fail to control the rig, and fine the company for the FULL cost of the damage and services plus fines.
How about just fixing the road like it should have been done in the first place! That outside was NEVER put in right when they 4 laned it! The lane leans out and the poles used to lean in really bad! Its been like that from day one, then got worse. STOP BLAMING THE TRUCK DRIVERS!
While FDOT is looking at the area.and soliciting input for the five year plan. I also suggest that the sidewalk in front of the Dollar General Store needs to be removed and replaced with asphalt on the road front. It’s the same way at the old Thrift Store that is currently empty. Please make the entrance into such business along Highway 29 so that cars can get off the road safely and quickly to avoid rear end collisions, You have to peer over especially at night to find the break in the curbs going in and out of there.
The 30 MPH signs designating the curves through town and new signs that directed truckers to use OUTSIDE lane were put in place BEFORE ANY of this happened (these last two rollovers and rear end accident). Ask a FDOT engineer about that. Also even after those New 30MPH signs were there.–They were not slowing people down. I was. driving, the other day going the posted speed limit, in the that left lane so I can go into the turn lane for the Food Giant, I had people passing me on the right, going around me then getting in front to turn on State Line Road. I had someone else pass me in the 15MPH zone on State Line Road where the vibrating strips are also. You go the posted speed limit to avoid a costly ticket and be safe and others bear down on you. I almost want to start blowing my horn, flashing my lights and giving them the one finger salute but know that just causes road rage. I think automatic speed enforcement cameras ACROSS the line and in through town is one SOLUTION. With huge signs across on arms over the highway flashing that speed is radar ENFORCED and DO IT!!!! I like that..Slow Down and Smile, has a home town ring to it with a positive spin. Century is not the sleepy little town when things moved on rails anymore it is a major trucking route and artery into the area from I65 to I10 but share the road with townspeople, pedestrians, and even bicycles look at the BIG picture. You’ve heard the term “can’t see the forest for the trees”. This curve is a tree.
CENTURY—–SLOW DOWN and SMILE!!!
You are on radar camera.
With all attention brought to the curve, keep your eyes on the BIG picture.
Enforce the speed limit and I don’t think a deputy will be in all locations. Put in automatic devices and signage letting then know.Word will get around and its a good thing.
Slow down and smile
We live in Century and I am a owner op and the problems is when you go into the curve with a loaded trailer it throws the weight to the right and cause the weight to transfer to the right and is causing to truck to roll. I left home Monday and the State has put a new sign up telling people 30 mph curve ahead it not going to work. Need to put up lane restrictions for that section of highway for all trucks. Trucks use left lane only from Burger King to Century Auto parts and yes flashing light telling Drivers this so the Drivers from out of town know to use left lane only. And do what a lot of States do paint it in the right lane no trucks this lane.
Yes…I agree. Signage needs to be placed placed and far enough back so the trucks can be in the correct lane for the curve. This needs to be done ASAP because like somebody said…what if it a hazardous load? That’s gonna be a whole lot more expense than some signs and it may prevent loss of live and the resulting lawsuits. Just do it!
Probably not an easy permanent fix…but slow down the trucks in this curve until it is fixed to 20-25 mph…and enforce it…it will get better then. I would say that speeding has something to do with it…after all…every truck is not turning over. Would this be funded by federal / state / county/ or Century…or all I wonder…
DIRECT ALL TRUCKS TO USE LEFT LANE AND SPEED LIMIT 20 MPH in addition to the above warning message!
The cheapest way to do this is a simple sign that crosses over the road so the sign needs to be large with big capital words words simply saying “No large semi trucks allowed in right lane ALL Semi and large trucks in left lane only for next 2 miles or turn over may result”
Why don’t they install warning signs until they get the road corrected.They could also use those message boards you see at construction sites. I have driven trucks in that area and it really leans.