Town eyes Collins Road hydroplaning problems

Sparta town officials last week promised three Collins Road residents that they would pursue relief for a dangerous traffic situation.

Mayor John H. Miller explained while the road is within town limits, it is a state road and therefore under the jurisdiction of the N.C. Department of Transportation (DOT).

"I'll get up with the DOT and see if we can get something done," said Town Manager Tom Douglas.

The remarks were part of the Sparta Town Council's Nov. 5 meeting, when area residents Lucy Roe, Ann Woodie and Sally Blevins discussed their concerns and asked for help from the town.

Roe said the problem section is just below the site where the Alleghany Wellness Center is to be built. "It's a straight stretch with a dip. It holds water, and cars hydroplane," she said. "The dip and drainage problem seems to get worse all the time. More people have hydroplaned in the last year."

Woodie explained, "It's the only straight stretch on Collins Road. People who want to drive fast, that's their opportunity....The surface of the road seems to be hollowed out in places."

Council member John Brady remarked, "It's not that there's so much water there, but it ponds up."

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