Oak Ridge Today

City will work to improve visibility at Tyler, Tennessee

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Tyler Road Tennessee Avenue Intersection July 29 2019
The intersection of Tyler Road and Tennessee Avenue is pictured above on Monday, July 29, 2019, looking west down Tennessee Avenue.

The City of Oak Ridge on Friday said the recommended sight distance is already available at the intersection of Tyler Road and Tennessee Avenue, where the stoplight will be removed, and the city will be taking action to improve the line of sight for drivers looking left from Tyler Road.

An Oak Ridge Today reader had asked about obstructions at the intersection that affect visibility looking left from Tyler Road to Tennessee Avenue. There are two utility poles there, as well as a hospital sign and utility box, and the reader had mentioned vegetation and the roadside hill alongside the eastbound lanes of Tennessee Avenue.

This week, City of Oak Ridge spokesperson Sarah Self said the utility box, which appears to be the widest of the obstructions next to the intersection, will be removed when the traffic signal is decommissioned in October.

Public Works crews will soon trim the trees and other vegetation there to provide an extended view, Self said.

[Read more…]

Design forum for Pennsylvania-North Tulane intersection is Wednesday

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UT Intersection Project Open Forum April 3 2019

Students from the University of Tennessee are planning to host a virtual open forum as they continue to explore alternative designs for the intersection at Pennsylvania and North Tulane Avenues in Oak Ridge, a press release said. The event will be accessible via Facebook Live on Wednesday, April 3, from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m.

The effort is part of a senior project for the students from UT’s College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the press release said. The Oak Ridge Public Works Department teamed up with the group to evaluate designs that would potentially realign the intersections of North Tulane Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, Providence Road, and East Pasadena Road.

The students held their first open forum in early March at Oak Ridge Public Library, where they introduced themselves and gathered public opinions and concerns. In the upcoming open forum, students will build on the feedback received so far and present conceptual drawings of alternatives that are under consideration, the press release said. [Read more…]

UT students to host forum on intersection design for Pennsylvania at Tulane

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Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

Image courtesy City of Oak Ridge

 

The Oak Ridge Public Works Department is teaming up with students from the University of Tennessee to explore alternative designs for the intersection at Pennsylvania and North Tulane avenues.

Some residents refer to the five-way intersection near Oak Ridge High School as “malfunction junction.”

The effort to explore alternative designs for the intersection is part of a senior project for the group of students from UT’s College of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a press release said. To help gather input from the community, the students will host an interactive open forum on Monday, March 4. The forum will be held in the Oak Ridge Public Library’s auditorium from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Public meeting Tuesday on proposed roundabout near ORHS

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Oak Ridge Proposed Roundabout

 

The City of Oak Ridge has released a potential design of the proposed roundabout near Oak Ridge High School, and a city board will accept public comments on the possible intersection change during a Tuesday evening meeting.

The roundabout could be built at the five-way intersection of Providence Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, East Pasadena Lane, and North Tulane Avenue. City officials aren’t fond of the term, but many residents refer to the intersection as “Malfunction Junction.”

During the Tuesday evening meeting, the Oak Ridge Traffic Safety Advisory Board will discuss the city’s grant application for the roundabout under the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives program. The discussion will include an overview of the project, and the public will be allowed to comment. [Read more…]

Council approves stoplight project at SR 95, Bethel Valley Road

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Highway 95 and Bethel Valley Road Stoplight

Note: This story was updated at 11:30 p.m. March 14.

Hoping to improve safety, state officials plan to install a stoplight west of Oak Ridge National Laboratory at the intersection of State Route 95 and Bethel Valley Road.

The stoplight and other geometric improvements have been endorsed by Johnny O. Moore, U.S. Department of Energy manager at the ORNL Site Office.

“This intersection poses safety problems for the general public, as well as employees of ORNL, and these proposed improvements would be greatly appreciated,” Moore said in a Feb. 6 letter to Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson.

The project could cost $200,000. The Tennessee Department of Transportation would fund it through the Federal Highway Administration Highway Safety Project. Oak Ridge City Engineer Steve Byrd said this type of project qualifies for 100 percent federal funding.

On Monday, the Oak Ridge City Council approved an agreement that would make the city responsible for maintenance after the stoplight is built. The annual maintenance cost for the city is expected to be about $1,500. [Read more…]

Picture: Firefighters have controlled burns on Pine Ridge

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Pine Ridge Controlled Burning

The Tennessee Division of Forestry conducts controlled burns on top of Pine Ridge in south Oak Ridge on Saturday.

State and local firefighters had controlled burns on top of Pine Ridge in south Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The burning on the ridge between South Illinois Avenue and Scarboro Road was scheduled to start at about noon Saturday and end before dark. The burns were conducted by the Tennessee Division of Forestry with help from the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

The goal was to help reduce the risk of an uncontrolled fire occurring at the site, also called Summit Ridge, and to help promote the growth of new vegetation in the area, a press release said. [Read more…]

Guest column: Runner, driver safety at risk in ‘Death Zone’

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Melton Lake Pedestrian Crossing

The pedestrian crossing at Melton Lake Drive and Emory Valley Road. (Submitted image)

The subject of this article is safety awareness for pedestrians and drivers at the crosswalk near the intersection of Melton Lake Greenway and Emory Valley Road Greenway (pictured at left), which I have dubbed the “Death Zone.”

To establish some credibility on the subject, I’ll note that I’ve been running competitively for 34 years, running nearly 75,000 miles, placing in all race distances and age categories. I’m also a board member of the Oak Ridge Track Club, an organization dedicated to promoting fitness through safe running and road racing in the Oak Ridge community.

Running as much as I do, and traveling as much as I do, I find myself at the subject intersection almost daily, as well as many other intersections throughout Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and the United States in general. With this running experience, I am keenly aware of the importance of running safely, and I advocate safety while running above all other interests. After all, if I don’t get home alive, my run wasn’t very successful at improving my health, right? Although an experienced runner, I have no legal experience, so I speak only as an educated layman on the legal aspects of Tennessee pedestrian law.

With regard to the “Death Zone,” a few weeks ago I came the closest to being killed by a vehicle while running than ever before—that is, other than the deliberate attempts by drivers to kill me while I’m running, which could easily be the subject of my first book. This near-death experience occurred because of three key factors, some of which are unique to this crosswalk, while others are universally applicable:

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