Home > Talk of East Texas > Archives > 2009 > June > 25 > Entry
Funding is roadblock for dangerous Texas 149
Kelli Jones tells her kids not to drive down Texas 149 unless it’s an emergency.
“This is one of the fastest highways around, and at night, it’s worse,” Jones said. She’s worked at Fastop Foods Store on Texas 149’s Whiskey Bend area for more than nine years, and she said wrecks occur at least four times a week, mostly from motorists turning left to a liquor store or Fastop.
“When I go get something to eat (in Lakeport) for lunch, I drive (past Fastop) to Wal-Mart and turn back to my job,” she said. “I’m scared I’m going to get hit coming back to work.”
State transportation experts report Texas 149 is one of the most dangerous roads in Texas, but plans to improve the road are not at the top of local transportation projects, and money for a proposed $32.9 million project is far from guaranteed.
Collisions on the mostly four-lane road have claimed at least six lives in the past 10 months.
How can officials fund the Texas 149 project?
Comments
By Akelly
July 11, 2009 10:41 AM | Link to this
I am a close friend of the woman that was driving the Dodge Durango on May 22nd of this year(2009). She and her SON not daughter are doing much better. However, if the improvements to this road would have been made this accident may not have happened. She may not have lost her daughter, niece, and her nieces best friend and may not have had to spend countless hours in physical rehab. My feeling is if this road is not improved eventually they will be spending this money on legal fees, which will be much more expensive and time consuming than just fixing this road! If you think about it, if they don’t do the improvements the surrounding hospitals, doctors, pharmacies etc., will be making a lot of money off of these accidents. Just food for thought on how politics really work. They think we are a bunch of dumb hicks that just drive drunk and fast on this road. My friend had not one drug not one sip of alcohol and still suffered. I hope whoever reads this keeps pushing for something to be done before more life is lost or forever changed because of highway 149!
By RPJ
June 29, 2009 12:22 AM | Link to this
It all comes down to how many wrecks have occurred with injuries and how many wrecks have occurred with deaths. That’s the formula TxDOT uses. Send in an Open Records request to TxDOT and see for yourself.
As for the Crowder Lane intersection, I know who to blame for that. I used to work for TxDOT. If I mention their names, LNJ will probably remove them. Again, file an Open Records request and ask for the names of the engineers and lead designer at the Longview Area Office. You can find out the name of the head engineer by going to TxDOT’s website.
About the only other way to get 149 funded is if State Rep. Tommy Merritt lived on the road.
By LJ
June 26, 2009 2:33 PM | Link to this
Where’s all that economic stimulus money for infrastructure repairs? Come on politicians, lets get something done. Remember hope and change?
By JA
June 25, 2009 3:37 PM | Link to this
I live in Tatum but have a my job in Longivew. Having to be on Hwy 149 four times a day, just creeps me out. I see so many accidents during a month it makes me sad to know that many people are dying and it makes me think that one day it could be me in wreck not being my fault because I do follow the speed limit, but there are to many hard headed people that dont pay attention. And the road when it rains it is so slippery its just terrifying to be on that specific hwy. They need to do something soon or other lives will be taken away.
By LB
June 25, 2009 11:50 AM | Link to this
Two years ago my husband was killed on Texas 149 in the result of an 18 wheeler failing to retain the speed limit and bad road conditions. Not only are the road conditions dangerous but the speed limit should be dropped to a slower speed. I agree that human life must not be as important as other road improvements. Tell that to my 3 children, who are growing up without a Dad.
By Michelle
June 25, 2009 11:14 AM | Link to this
HWY 349, Hwy 149 and Crowder Lane Intersection is a death hazard everyday. i have to turn on Crowder Lane everyday to go home and my line of site is blocked by vehicles trying to turn on 349. there have been so many wrecks there i cant keep count anymore. And now with the school right down the road i wonder how many more people will have to be hurt before something is done. it has to be against the law for that intersection to have been layed out like that.
By Mary
June 25, 2009 9:58 AM | Link to this
Living at Lake Cherokee with young children in the Tatum school district, there is a constant reminder everyday of the safty of HWY 149. When I drive my children to school I point out the crosses on the road to remind them of how dangerous the Hwy is and that when they are old enough to drive to please be careful. My work is also located on Hwy 149 just past Whiskey Bend. I have seen too many accidents and there has been too many deaths for this not to be not only the Countys top priority but the States also. Hwy 149 is the only road I travel, from home to work to the grocery store. Everything I do is on Hwy 149 and can not be avoided. I grew up in Los Angeles and I think Hwy 149 is by far the most dangerous road I have traveled.
By JBC
June 25, 2009 7:35 AM | Link to this
I vote for the Hwy 149 improvements first. With a new LISD elementary campus and the new LeTourneau University airport campus - traffic will definitely increase with many being students. Could we not look at where we are spending money? How much did we spend and continue to spend on those ridiculous raised medians on Loop 281? Not even considering that they were once bricked, then broken up and landscaped and who knows what is next? I am sick and tired of all the U turns where I have to sit on the shoulder of the road and wait to slam my pedal to the floor and burn rubber to get into the flow of traffic. I now prefer to drive 10-20 miles out of the way just to avoid the Loop - which is not fair to the businesses on the Loop. Come on Longview - we are better than that!
By Cherie Camron
June 25, 2009 6:41 AM | Link to this
My thoughts are if a road has issues that cause more deaths because of the distance a person drives and drunks are on that road too. Well, hands down, You fix that road first. The loop can wait…Silver Falls road, and Graystone are or should be so far down a list it would take years and years and years to deal with them. Safety should come first.. 149 first and yes I do agree that 42 needs widening but it too can wait after 149..the people in charge should be forced to drive that road daily in all conditions so they too can get the crap scared out of them in order to fix it first.
By Tony J
June 25, 2009 5:30 AM | Link to this
I look at the projects that they say are more important tha the Texas 149 hwy improvement and to me and my way of thinking that they are crazy How many more lives have to be lost on Tx 149 before the road project get moved to the top of the list ? Guess that a human life is not as important as some of the not so dangerous road improvement that they want to do first .