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Updated: 8:38 PM Jul 5, 2009
Route 35 Accident Leads to More Concerns
A deadly accident has confirmed the fears many drivers have had about what they consider a dangerous new intersection in Putnam County.
Posted: 8:38 PM Jul 5, 2009Reporter: Carrie Jones Email Address: carrie.jones@wsaz.com |
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21 Comments 
PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Long before a new section of Rt. 35 opened up in June, there have been many concerns that one intersection on the new stretch may be unsafe.
Saturday, 80-year-old Wilma Leslie was killed when her car collided with a truck at the intersection under scrutiny.
Right now, all that stands between drivers on Hurricane Creek Road and the four lanes of Rt. 35 is a stop sign.
Danny and Sharon Haught's home overlooks the new highway, and the deadly crash is cause for alarm.
"A lady that I've known all my life and went to school with her children has been killed right in front of my house and she's driven through here for years," Sharon Haught said.
Since the road opened, the couple has been keeping an eye on the intersection. They say most drivers are very cautious, but larger trucks don't have room to stop in the middle of the highway.
"They've managed to miss each other, lets put it that way," said Danny Haught. "I'm not a highway engineer or anything, but I think probably this should be made as safe as possible. If that calls for a stop light to be there then put the stop light in."
The Putnam County Commission did share the community's concerns with the Division of Highways, but their studies found that a stop light or overpass at the intersection wasn't necessary.
For the Haughts, they believe something needs to be done before anyone else is hurt.
"It's a bad intersection, I don't think it's being blown out of proportion," said Sharon. "The whole purpose of building this highway is to get away from the dangerous road, the road where I grew up on."
County school officials are also concerned because they worry buses may not be able to cross safely. Bus officials have said they may consider new bus routes to avoid dangerous intersections along Rt. 35.
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Latest Comments
I drive that road every day. I used to live in Salem, where I drove Rt 50 every day. Route 50 is set up the same way -- 4 lanes, speed limit of 65, and lots of cross roads. Up there, most of the crossings only have stop signs, and that's fine. A few of the more dangerous intersections have a blinking lights -- blinking yellow on the main road warning drivers to be aware of the crossing and blinking red on the crossroads telling people who want to merge or cross that they need to stop for oncoming traffic. Something like that would work here.
Traffic lights or stop signs would only create more of a traffic problem! All of us face intersections every day! All you have to do is look left, right, left. don't go across if you don't have time to make it safely!
The speed limit is 65. I agree that it was much more dangerous to pull off of Hurricane Creek on the old 35. As I was driving to work this morning a woman pulled off one of the side roads (not Hurricane creek) right in the path of a semi truck and on coming traffic. I don't know what she was thinking there was traffic in both lanes and visability was fine in that area.
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