Works begins on "Thrill Hill" safety devices

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
The installation of safety devices on the "Thrill Hill" portion of Moss Chapel Road has begun but a lot of work remains to be done, according to Byron Turney, superintendent of Hartselle's pubic works department.
"We've installed stop signs on Moss Chapel at its intersection with Bonniedale Lane and Meadowview Circle and covered them," Turney said. "We're also working on other signs in our sign shop and getting specifications on the guard rails that are recommended. The plan is to do the work in phases as supplies and materials become available, with construction of the speed hump coming last."
Mayor Dwight Tankersley said he has consulted with Joe Wheeler EMC and given an order for the installation of additional street lighting in the project area. As for the remainder of the work, he said all of it can be done by city employees and equipment
and has been designated as having a high priority.
"Byron knows what needs to be done," Tankersley said. "It is his call to schedule the work and no timeline for completion has been set."
City officials approved the project on March 28 in accordance with recommendations of a traffic study conducted by Darrell Skipper, a traffic safety engineer with offices in Birmingham.
Skipper recommended 10 steps to slow down traffic on the hill and reduce the danger of tragic accidents from occurring. They included a speed hump, a four-way stop, additional signs, guardrails and better lighting.
The traffic study was ordered by the city council after a Decatur teenager was killed in a tragic one-vehicle accident on the hill last December.