City officials, business leaders air concerns over pedestrians crossing Interstates

City officials, business leaders air concerns over pedestrians crossing Interstates

MPO looking for solutions after recent death

news@theeveningtimes.com

AWest Memphis based hotel owner stood up to say he has seen too much carnage on the Interstate interchange. Harry Patel told the West Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization that some thing needs to be done to prevent pedestrians from crossing the Interstates in front of Southland Gaming and Racing.

Mayor Bill Johnson inserted the topic into the agenda under new business during the meeting to open the floor for Patel to make his case.

“Harry Patel and his family own several hotels here in Marion and West Memphis, and are building some new ones,” said Mayor Johnson. “He made a request to me and comes in here to make this request in front of the Highway Department.”

“Right across from Southland where Interstate 40 and 55 run together, people have been crossing the Interstate and getting killed there,” said Patel. “In five years, five people have gotten killed.”

Patel indicated that pedestrians short cutting across the interchange is something seen almost daily and asked about a solution. The walk-over on the Ingram Boulevard overpass just isn’t on the minds of some leaving the casino on foot.

“They are not going over the overpass, they are just going straight across the interstate,” said Patel.

“Could we get something put up there on top of the barriers so people won’t cross and get killed anymore?” asked Patel.

“We see it a lot,” said John Wintermantel with Southland.

Study Director Eddie Brawley thought impaired judgment might be a factor.

“Do they check the blood alcohol on those victims?” asked Brawley.

“They’d have to be drunk or something.”

“I saw one guy and he was drunk,” said Patel. “I called the police department and said he was (walking) drunk on the Interstate and he might get killed. They came down, put him in the car and took him.” The discussion shifted to comments in

Text the Times after the last fatality asking for a pedestrian overpass. Westbound and northbound Interstate traffic was snarled for hours while the accident scene was worked

by responders.

As another option the hotel owner pointed to the green metal deflectors on top of the median barriers along the Interstate towards the bridge.

According to Brawley highway safety focus has risen to new heights. An AHTD representative promised to carry the concern to the traffic safety section for consideration.

By John Rech