By Rupert Howell
Three intersections being considered for redesign on Highway 6 east of Batesville due to serious and fatal accidents include Bethlehem-Goodhope, Terza-Lawrence Brothers and Central Academy Roads according to MDOT District Engineer Mitch Turner.
The District Engineer said Monday a  series of over 50 serious and fatal accidents at the three intersections is the reason (MDOT) is looking to re-design current intersections removing the direct crossover.
Turner emphasized that it was, “Too early to say exactly what we will do at the three intersections but that’s the plan.”
The engineer was explaining “j-turn” intersections which would force drivers heading north and south toward 6/278 who wanted to go straight or turn left, to first turn right then use a turn-over to enter the east or west bound lane.
Left turns from the highway would be on curbed turn lanes.
“What brought this on was serious and fatal crashes at those three intersections,”  Turner said Monday.
“That throws a red light to MDOT and the data opens federal funds,—Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds,” Turner added.
Turner and other local MDOT officials met informally last week with several area residents and their representatives to discuss concerns for the plan.
Turner said information gathered there concerning the opening of a new gravel/sand pit that is bringing additional truck traffic to Bethlehem Road from Lafayette County is being forwarded to design engineers and consultants in the Jackson.
“Since our meeting with that group we have talked with design folks about the new gravel pit . . .that (design) may change,” according to Turner.
He also mentioned that residents of Deer Run subdivision are concerned about safety where they get in out of their subdivision on 6/278 .3 mile north of the Terza intersection.
Deer Run resident Joe Azar who spoke before Panola County’s Planning Commission last week was passionate with his concern about the dangers of ingress and egress from the neighborhood’s only entryway on the west bound lane of 6/278 near Terza.
Azar said last Friday a stop light is the only solution to keeping the neighborhood’s entrance safe from speeding traffic and the proposed j-turn intersection would only worsen the danger noting that his concern was for the safety of his wife and children.
In a telephone interview Monday Turner said, “That is the motive, to try and make things safer,” adding, “We are planning on having a public meeting prior to (approval of) this project.”