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By Ena Sellers, Duplin Journal
KENANSVILLE — Duplin County officials, leadership, and the public recently shared thoughts about the existing and planned all-way stops for several areas in Duplin County during the Board of County Commissioners meeting. Currently there are 12 intersections scheduled to have all-way stops.
Commissioner Wayne Branch brought the topic to the board’s attention to keep the board and the public informed about future changes.
The intersections that will be impacted are:
Tram Road at Bethel Church Road, Tram Road at Bennetts Bridge Road/Scotts Store Road, Tram Road at Red Hill Road, Bowdens Road at Revelle Road, NC 41/NC 111 at Jackson Store Road, NC 50/NC 403 at Warren Road, Warren Road at Solomon Street, Charity Road at Bay Road, NC 11 at Charity Road, NC 11 at Register Road/Stocking Head Road, Liddell Road at Drummersville Road, and NC 403 at Beautancus Road.
Representative Jimmy Dixon expressed his concerns and asked those in attendance about their general thoughts on the all-way stops.
“A lot of money is being spent and some of them (all-way stops) I just don’t see the logic.
I am not on the Transportation Committee, but I have some colleagues that are, and they can’t get any information from the State Department of Transportation,” said Representative Dixon.
Chair Dexter Edwards stated that to him it appeared that money was spent on putting four-way stops that may not be necessary.
“There may be information that the state has from accidents and such that I’m not aware of,” said Chair Edwards. “I’m old school, but when I’ve rode down a road as many years as I have, all of a sudden I come under a four-way stop on it, I’m aggravated and, like I said, if it is preventing accidents, I’m not trying to argue with the data, but I don’t see the value myself today.”
Sheriff Stratton Stokes shared that he has not seen any data shared from the DOT, but that he learned from the fire department in Teachey that a particular four-way stop in Teachey has reduced severe crashes. “But now some of these places, I don’t know why they have picked them. I mean, like Little Road and way out in the country where you don’t have as much traffic.”
Commissioner Branch shared that last year when the four-way stop was placed at the intersection of Bay Road and Highway 117 he received several calls about it. “So, I went out there and actually sat there a little bit and watched a lot of tires sliding as a result of not being aware. So, I contacted the DOT just to try to get an understanding as to why you would put a stop sign on a 55-mile-an-hour zone.”
He explained that he was presented with the data and the study that supported the need for the four-way stop at that location, adding that a lot of effort goes on from DOT in making the determination of what is needed. He also explained that DOT must look at the costs, and stop signs are the most cost-effective compared to a roundabout or stop lights.
“The decision is being made within that structure,” said Commissioner Branch about the all-way stops slated for Duplin. “My point was to make sure that we are aware so we can communicate, because I don’t know what efforts, if any, going towards it would redirect it after the fact, unless there is some study to present the data to change it… I had mentioned maybe we need something to indicate that these stop signs are coming up on them, and they are still investigating that. But it is a decision that is still being made without a whole lot of leeway in terms of changing it, unless enough people were to get behind it to boast their concerns and see what would happen.”
Commissioner Garner shared that while he understands the purpose for them, he was unsure about the need for some of them.
“A prime example is on 403 in Rose Chapel. You come out of Graham Road (and) there is a four-way stop. You go 100 yards to the intersection of Summerville’s Crossroads Road and 403, and there is another stop. Why do you need two of them within 100 yards of each other?” said Garner.
Duplin resident Barbara Grady, who lives half a mile from the Wayne County line North of NC 111 Highway, shared that she is surrounded by four-way stops and that she appreciated them being there. Grady stated that she believes the four-way stop at Outlaw’s Bridge Road in Highway 111 has prevented several fatalities from happening. She also mentioned that it has been helpful with traffic no longer being stalled out for a long time by the Zion Church Road.
“The one right up in Wayne County from me serves the people coming out of Butterball, and there had been a lot of traffic back up because they had to stop and 111 went right on. Well, now that you’ve got a four-way stop, there’s less congestion at that particular crossroads when it’s shift-change time at Butterball. So, I am in favor of them,” Grady added.
Department of Transportation officials told the Duplin Journal that the schedules for the all-way stop installations have not been set and will be released once they are scheduled.
