There is a growing concern about a dangerous intersection near the Cross Creek community in Hampstead, NC. Formed by State Highway 210, Dallie Futch Road, and Island Creek Road, the area has seen a total of 39 car accidents in the past five years alone.
Pender County Commissioners have taken notice of these alarming statistics.
The number of motor vehicle accidents is not the same for where each of these three roads intersects. In the past 5 years:
- There were 8 accidents at the intersection of Dallie Futch Road and Island Creek Road
- 20 accidents at the intersection of Island Creek Road and State Highway 210
- 11 accidents at the junction of Dallie Futch Road and State Highway 210
These high numbers of accidents highlight the growing necessity to improve the safety of our area’s roads.
The County Commissioners have come up with a plan to address the issue. They want to install a traffic light to manage the traffic flow better, and they hope to have it in operation before the Hampstead Bypass project is complete. In the long run, they plan to build a traffic circle or rotary to regulate traffic and decrease accidents.
The Commissioners are not solely concentrating on passenger cars while devising these measures. Since the intersection is close to Interstate 40, which is a significant route for industrial vehicles and trucks, a thorough traffic management strategy is required to ensure the safety of everyone. Therefore, the proposed enhancements will be inclusive of all types of vehicles.
To proceed, the Commissioners must work together with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to obtain approval for the proposed measures. Once done, they will search for financial support from different sources, including Strategic Transportation Investments (STI) funds.