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Fallon County residents press commissioners to lower speed limit on Coral Creek Road; enforcement, study costs debated
Summary
At a public-comment and roads update session, residents and commissioners discussed lowering the posted speed on Coral Creek Road, the cost of a speed study, who would enforce a new limit and related litter and traffic concerns tied to landfill and wind‑tower work.
Larry Singer, a resident, urged the Fallon County Board of Commissioners to act on safety problems on Coral Creek Road, the gravel county road that serves the landfill and oilfield traffic.
The county discussion centered on three practical questions: whether to post a lower speed limit, who would enforce it, and whether to pay for a formal speed study to justify changing the limit.
Residents said heavy trucks and crews servicing wind towers have been driving fast on the road and that motorists and livestock face safety risks. Larry Singer said sheriff’s office patrols have issued tickets at times but are not a daily presence. Commissioners and staff noted state statute establishes default speeds on county highways—70 mph by day, 65 mph at night—so local changes generally require either a documented speed study or a local policy decision.
Commissioners and residents discussed a previously quoted cost for a speed study—about $4,555—to measure average speeds and support an official change. Several speakers said posting a 45 mph advisory or regulatory sign might slow drivers but that signs alone are ineffective without enforcement. County staff and commissioners said Trent from the sheriff’s office has patrolled Coral Creek Road and issued tickets, but that the sheriff’s office would need to accept ongoing enforcement responsibilities for a posted limit to be meaningful.
The conversation also covered related concerns: trash and littering along the roadway (residents noted the landfill previously posted “no littering” signs), several past crashes involving garbage trucks or wind‑tower crews, and the brief schedule of planned wind‑tower blade refurbishing that will bring extra construction traffic. One resident reported a recent incident involving a D & D garbage truck that went off the road, and others said private landowners have in the past posted suggested speed signs that the county did not enforce.
Commissioners emphasized an incremental approach: site‑specific postings where roadway geometry or repeated incidents justify them, and case‑by‑case consideration of countywide policy. They recommended further coordination with the sheriff’s office about enforcement patterns and with the landfill and wind‑tower operators to request written commitments to respect posted limits.
No formal motion or ordinance was adopted during the meeting; commissioners asked staff to continue conversations with the sheriff’s office, gather more information on enforcement capacity, and confirm the cost and scope of a speed study if the board chooses to pursue one.
Ending
Commissioners signaled a willingness to consider localized speed postings and a speed study if enforcement can be arranged, but they did not vote on any regulatory change. Residents were told the issue would remain on the roads agenda for follow up.
