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Roads committee asks state to lower speed limit past Willowbrook after Summitville safety complaints
Summary
The county Roads and Bridges Committee voted to ask the Tennessee Department of Transportation to lower the 55 mph zone on Highway 55 leaving Summitville to 45 mph past the Willowbrook Subdivision after a resident reported close calls and crashes near a curve and a market.
The Roads and Bridges Committee voted Sept. 16 to ask the Tennessee Department of Transportation to lower the 55 mph speed zone on Highway 55 as drivers leave Summitville to 45 mph past the entrance to Willowbrook Subdivision. The motion, made by Commissioner Morris and seconded by Commissioner Nettles, passed on a unanimous voice vote.
Resident James “Jimmy” Gustafson told the committee that the stretch of Highway 55 westbound from Summitville is “a hazard,” citing several close calls and accidents near the curve at the Pete Sain Road intersection, a Par 4 market, and the Willowbrook Subdivision. “Coming out of Summerville seems to be a hazard,” Gustafson said during public comment, adding that the nearby school zone is posted at 35 mph but the adjacent through-traffic remains at 55 mph.
Committee members said they have been in contact with Tennessee Department of Transportation staff and that TDOT engineers will study the area. A committee member reported recent contact with Tom Avery, a TDOT safety engineer based in Chattanooga, and said Avery asked for coordinates of the intersection to begin a review. The committee directed staff to forward location details and follow up with TDOT.
Committee discussion cited concerns about increased traffic associated with the Willowbrook area, school bus routes, elderly residents in the subdivision and a history of close calls and at least one earlier fatality in the vicinity. The committee also noted that state troopers can enforce speeds and that TDOT sometimes awards safety grants and installs signage after an engineering review.
The motion recorded the committee’s request to TDOT to move the start of the 55 mph zone farther west, past Willowbrook Drive. Commissioner Morris made the motion; Commissioner Nettles seconded it. A voice vote produced unanimous approval. The committee said it will continue to work with TDOT staff and local law enforcement on study results and possible sign changes.
Members said the request is not a county speed change order; because Highway 55 is a state-maintained road, any legal change to the posted limit will require TDOT action following its engineering review.
