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FDOT Takes First Step Toward Dangerous Century Curve Fix
July 13, 2016
The Florida Department of Transportation has taken a first step toward addressing the problem with a North Century Boulevard curve that has seen multiple semi-truck rollovers.
FDOT has covered signage south of the curve that instructed northbound drivers to remain in the right lane.
“I feel like we will see more steps in the near future,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. Those steps will likely include a speed limit reduction from 35 to 25 mph for trucks (or perhaps all motorists), signs with to warn motorists and trucks of the tipping hazard, advance warning signage with flashing beacons and perhaps advance warning signage advising trucks to use the inside lane.
Century and Escambia County have both pressed FDOT to eventually fix the elevation problem with the roadway.
Twice last month, semi-trucks rolled over in a curve on North Century Boulevard at Jackson Street. City and county officials believe the curve is badly designed with a slope in the outer lane that is difficult for semis to negotiate at the posted 35 mph speed limit. The amount of lean on an 18-wheeler in the outer lane is demonstrated in the photo below.
Pictured top: The Florida Department of Transportation has covered a sign on North Century Boulevard that instructed trucks to use the right lane. Pictured below: A tanker truck leans as it negotiates a dangerous curve on North Century Boulevard. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
11 Responses to “FDOT Takes First Step Toward Dangerous Century Curve Fix”
Hillarious indeed.
And likely took three state workers to deliver that high tech “signage interrupter”.
Will take the same three to remove said “SI”.
Then three more will come out to change same sign to a different sign.
Maybe, someday in a galaxy far away.
Refer M in Bratt…taking the sign down as opposed to putting a bag over it would have been much too complicated for DOT!!! Besides it is an election year. Some poor fool out there might want to vote for Bag Over Sign.
Being a truck driver of 30 years and driving through Century numerous times, I have always wondered when the state was going to fix this dangerous curve. I never obeyed the “trucks use the right lane” sign just out of common sense that it would not take much for a loaded truck to have and overturne accident there.
How many PhD (Piled Higher and Deeper) FDOT engineers does it take to put up or take down a sign?
______________________ (fill in the blank)
Comedy, A method of coping with a tense situation.
I am frightened of the trucks speeding through here also especially a hazardous spill.
Knock Knock
Whos there?
Hope it not someone telling me I have to evacuate or that a family member is hurt.
This is serious and I am concerned and I believe eventualy it will be made safer. I found funny the image of the sign with the bag over it, and laughed out loud as I had thought of slipping a T-shirt over it myself a few weeks ago but realize FDOT would have to be the one to make that call and the fact it took them this long to get that decision through the bureaucrazy IS absurd but that also is just the way it is, the way things work. They just had put the signs up from a state wide FDOT safety directive that all trucks be moved to the outside lanes on state highways or face fines of $100 and “voila” two rollovers. So the guy that plants the signs did his job. The guy that covered it up did his. I hope the work brought forward will remedy the situation.
@M in Bratt..reminded me of a joke about City Workers, one dug a hole, the other covered it up…all day long, when asked what was going on they replied, the guy that plants the trees was off today.
Yes the curve has been there a long time and accidents have happened in the past, but to the ones who live in Century, this road was repaved and reworked about three to four years ago and has been much worse since then. The road seems to be much higher in the center and slopes more in the lean to the right When headed south than in years gone by and I drove it daily from 1979 to 1983 when my son went to Flomaton Day Care and I worked at Century Hospital. I live in Bratt, but still think of all drivers safety, just think it could be a school bus loaded with children. The drivers who go the speed limit hats off to them and pray for the drives who don’t.
It can’t be denied that this is a poorly designed/constructed curve and has been that way for years…and makes you wonder how it was allowed to even be constructed this way…?
The real fix is to reverse the camber of the road.
You have to wonder; Why the DOT employee with the garbage bag and tape that covers the sign didn’t just use a wrench and take it down? Maybe taking signs down is not in his/her job description.
If you two lived in Century you would not find this situation funny at all. Lives are at risk and the curve is dangerous. There have been more than 2 semi wrecks on that curve. If this problem is not handled lives will be lost. So stop whining that Century is getting a problem dealt with by FDOT and one spot in Pensacola is more important. I’m sure that area needs to be fixed also but it does not take away from this dangerous situation in our town. Come drive on this dangerous curve with your family beside the Semis or work and live in the buildings within just a few feet of these huge Semis flipping over and your attitudes would change from comedy to concern!!!!
And that curve/slope has been there for how many yrs? Taxpayers have to foot the bill for two bad drivers. If just two accidents is the qualifying reason to “fix” the road then how about putting a light at west Roberts and pine forest rd. Numerous accidents happen at that intersection.
I’m with the comment below… How absurd!!!
Sorry, but that’s just funny. Sometimes you just have to laugh at the whole absurd situation.