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Residents and sheriff press White County commission to address dangerous stretches on Colebank Road and Highway 70
Summary
Residents described repeated crashes and near-fatal incidents on Colebank Road and at Old Kentucky and Highway 70; Sheriff Steve Page and a resident asked the commission to pursue speed reductions, engineering changes or a state study, and the chair referred the matter to the county steering committee for consideration in October.
Several residents and White County Sheriff Steve Page asked the commission to take steps to reduce speeds and improve safety on Colebank Road and at the Old Kentucky/Highway 70 intersection.
Resident Wayne Jeffrey told the court he has lived on Colebank Road since 1979 and described repeated assaults, damaged property, and numerous animal fatalities adjacent to his property. He said the road narrows from roughly 16 feet to 12.5 feet in places and that drivers commonly exceed posted limits, reporting observed speeds of 40–70 mph in areas with a 25-mph sign. He urged the commission to consider traffic-calming measures or a lowered speed limit at the narrow, hazardous stretch.
Sheriff Steve Page told commissioners the Old Kentucky and Highway 70 area has frequent serious wrecks and asked for county help; he said the state rejected a prior request to reduce the speed limit and that the state asked the county to fund a traffic study. "We've got to do something before somebody else gets killed down there," Page said.
County leadership responded that the matter would be placed on the agenda for Steering Committee A; the chair said the committee meeting will be scheduled in October (October 6 was named on the record) and that committee discussion and a road supervisor’s input would be needed before the full court could take action. Commissioners noted that state roads fall under state jurisdiction and that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) typically requires an engineering study — which the state asked the county to fund in prior discussions — before making changes to state-controlled roadways.
Why it matters: speakers described repeated near-fatal incidents and ongoing safety hazards for pedestrians, residents and drivers; potential fixes (speed-limit reductions, signage, road-widening or a study) could require coordination with state agencies and budgeted engineering work.
Next steps recorded on the record: the chair invited the resident to present detailed, pictorial documentation to Steering Committee A on the committee’s October agenda so county staff and the highway supervisor can evaluate potential remedies and state coordination. No formal vote or appropriation was taken at the meeting.
