Butts Road underpass poses traffic and safety problems

Editor:

Photo from Aaron Vosburgh: A FedEx hit the underpass on Butts Road in Albion today.

There was another impact accident involving the Butts Road railroad underpass this afternoon in Albion.

A driver of a FedEx truck either did not understand the height of his vehicle, or missed the road signs  that clearly show 7 feet, 2 inch clearance to go under the bridge, or was just simply not paying attention. The truck hit the railroad underpass about 2:45 this afternoon and got wedged under the underpass. It shut the road down for almost an hour.

It’s just another case of someone hitting the underpass. It happens frequently every year.

Those are the impact accidents. But don’t forget there are even more near-misses of people realizing that there attempting fate and they turn around in my driveway.

I tried to voice my concerns about the situation on this road, that the underpass is hit frequently, and that people have to turn around to avoid fate of hitting it.

Also that underpass is on a blind hill. I have watched my neighbor while getting my son off the bus after school pull out of her driveway heading south and almost get rear-ended numerous times by people flying from the underpass in the same direction.

Many people have  commented that UConnectCare’s recovery center on Butts Road is going to be great. I agree it will be good for the community, but how are you going to feel when the next accident could involve you?

The reason I say that is during today’s accident involving the FedEx truck I was out waving down traffic to avoid them crashing into the FedEx truck before the police arrived. I was almost clipped by numerous vehicles flying to the underpass from 31 heading north.

The recovery center being built here on Butts Road was built in a very bad location because now it’s like adding fuel to a fire.

You go from simple impact accidents with an underpass to the possibility of it involving more vehicles, and that in turn is people, children and property.

I tried to mention that to the town planning board during a hearing about the recovery center and simply got told you will be fine.

Aaron Vosburgh

Albion