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Residents say Kelly Creek widening will increase speeds and hazards; engineers point to rumble strips and paved shoulders
Summary
Residents told the county commission they were blindsided by Kelly Creek Road work and fear widening will raise speeds and traffic; the county engineer said the project primarily adds paved shoulders and rumble strips — not widened travel lanes — as a countermeasure to lane‑departure crashes.
Residents of Kelly Creek Road told St. Clair County commissioners on June 23 they were blindsided by construction and worried the planned shoulder paving and associated changes will increase speeds, introduce more traffic and worsen safety near an already weight‑restricted bridge.
"None of the citizens out there knew it was going on. Completely blindsided," Blake Wester said, recounting that work crews and a backhoe showed up before neighbors had notice. Wester said the road already sees drivers at "55, 60, 70 miles an hour," cited recent fatalities and warned widening would invite even more traffic and faster speeds.
Jack Butler, who identified himself as the owner of Butler Farms on Kelly Creek Road, told commissioners he has seen at least one fatality and multiple off‑road crashes near his property and urged reduced speeds, design changes and enforcement. "We have, Butler Farms is on Kelly Creek Road ... We've had in the last 4 years, we've had 1 fatality," Butler said.
County Engineer Clay Phillips described the approved project as one that adds a two‑foot paved shoulder and places the rumble strip 6 to 8 inches outside the white line; he emphasized the travel lane width will not change and said rumble strips and paved shoulders are among "one of the most effective countermeasures for lane departures." Phillips said some guardrail approaches will be moved farther from the travelway to reduce the number of impacts on end anchors.
Commissioners heard both sides: residents warning of increased speeds and loss of rural character if the road effectively becomes a faster connector, and engineers arguing the improvements address documented lane‑departure crashes. The county said it will direct further design review and consider additional safety measures and signage while proceeding with federally eligible standards needed to secure grant funding for the project.
Next steps: staff and engineers will evaluate design tweaks and safety mitigations requested by residents while proceeding with grant‑eligible design elements.
