The Tennessee Department of Transportation is reworking a stretch of Highway 70 in Liberty that has contributed to several wrecks in the area, and claimed a couple of lives.
The section of road, is located in a curve on the highway, heading east just past the intersection with Highway 53 (Woodbury Highway). There, when there are heavy rains, water runoff has caused several vehicles to hydroplane, sending vehicles uncontrolled into oncoming traffic.
A 19-year-old Cookeville teen, Savannah Buckley, lost her life on the road earlier this month during a rainy morning, and 36-year-old Sarah Clark was killed in a very similar crash on the section of road in 2014.
According to TDOT Community Relations Officer Jennifer A. Flynn TDOT crews were working last week in an effort to improve the slope of the roadway, to help divert water away from the travel lanes and into the drainage system. Layers of pavement were removed and the section is being repaved to help alleviate the problem.
In a press release Flynn stated, “TDOT maintenance crews milled and repaved an area of U.S. 70 in Liberty at the location of a recent fatal crash. The purpose of the work was to improve the cross-slope of the roadway at this location to better drain water off the travel lanes during heavy rains. This location is in a transitional area toward the beginning/end of the curve, so the cross slope was not as steep as other sections of the roadway. Our crews built up and steepened the slope across the road to better push water off the driving lanes to the shoulder and into curb and gutter so that the catch basins/drainage system can take it away. The pavement work was completed May 13. They still need to install permanent striping, and they will do that as soon as possible.”
State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver referred to the section of road as a “Kill Zone” when she contacted TDOT about the problem after Buckley’s death. She urged the commissioner to have TDOT fix the drainage problem immediately. TDOT crews were on the scene later that week surveying the road.
Even with the possible fix, it is recommended that drivers slowdown in the area when there is rain. When it comes to speed on a wet road, slow down by about one third of what you would normally drive. If you begin to hydroplane, remain calm, slow down, and avoid the natural urge to slam on your brakes. Also sudden acceleration could pull the vehicle straight ahead which could be dangerous. Use a light pumping action on the pedal if you need to brake. If you have anti-lock brakes, you can brake normally. Once you've regained control of your car, take a minute or two to calm yourself down.
It’s also important not to have the cruise control engaged during heavy rain due to a possible sudden acceleration problem. The vehicle will recognize the buildup of water as a slowdown and accelerate. This may cause the car to shift to a lower gear and build even more water under the tires.
Photo:
Hwy70_Liberty – Highway 70 in Liberty was down to one lane last week as TDOT crews removed old pavement and repaved a section of road to help with water runoff. The section of road has been the scene of several crashes during rain storms, including a couple of deaths.
