Residents warn widening of Kelly Creek Road could worsen safety, commissioners say adjustments possible

Residents living along Kelly Creek Road told the commission they were "completely blindsided" when heavy equipment appeared and said the road has become a high‑speed thoroughfare as traffic diverts from congested US‑411. Blake Wester, who said he has lived on the road 43 years, told commissioners he sees drivers at 55–75 mph and said widening will "invite more people" and make the road less safe.

"Completely blindsided. None of the citizens out there knew it was going on," Wester said during public comment. "By widening that road 3 feet... it's gonna invite more people to that road." Jack Butler, who identified himself as owner of Butler Farms, described at least one recent fatality and multiple vehicles leaving the roadway onto farm property and asked the commission to examine camber, curves and speed limits to reduce lane‑departure crashes.

County Engineer Clay Phillips described the project's countermeasures: two‑foot paved shoulders and rumble strips that will be placed about 6–8 inches outside the white line, not a widened travel lane. "The travel lane is gonna be the same, 10 foot 6 inch wide," Phillips said, adding that rumble strips and guardrail adjustments are among the most effective measures for preventing lane departures.

Commissioners acknowledged the tradeoffs between design standards required for federal funding as a "major collector" and the safety concerns of residents. The commission directed the county engineer to examine site‑specific mitigations and to keep resident welfare in planning discussions.