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Residents urge action on Highway 62 safety and plead for help saving Sesquicentennial Park
Summary
Multiple residents described dangerous sight lines and heavy truck traffic along Highway 62 near Glencoe and asked for lower speed limits and signage; a Graham resident asked whether the county can help save Sesquicentennial Park, and commissioners said the parcel is city property but discussed possible county assistance at auction.
Several residents who live along Highway 62 and in the Glencoe area told the Alamance County Board of Commissioners they are concerned about a stretch of road with limited sight lines and frequent heavy truck traffic.
Charles Gupton, who lives near Burlington, said he had supplied commissioners with an engineer's report showing a blind curve that fell short of the Department of Transportation's sight-line recommendation for a 45-mph speed zone and asked that the county press NCDOT to lower the posted speed to 35 mph. "Most drivers come through that intersection in the area 55 to 60 miles an hour," Gupton said, and he urged commissioners to help get DOT to reconsider the posted limit.
Deborah Marshall, who also lives on Highway 62, asked for a 'Blind Hills' sign and noted a planned 300-home development nearby that she said would increase turning conflicts. Mark Payne and other neighbors described frequent fender-benders and poor visibility at the Glencoe Street/Highway 62 junction.
Commissioners noted that Highway 62 is a state road and not under county control, but said staff can assist residents in making a request to NCDOT and suggested short-term measures such as a blinking caution light or congestion sign to warn drivers in the area.
Separately, Denise Heckman of Graham asked whether the county could help citizens preserve Sesquicentennial Park, which she said the city plans to sell at public auction. Commissioners said the park parcel is city property and the county has no authority to tell Graham how to dispose of its land, but discussed options for the county or private donors to seek to acquire the parcel at auction to preserve it as a park.
