Bill Robinson
KINGSTON — At 3:05 p.m. Monday, the crossroads community of Kingston took on the air of a big city.
Vehicles were backed up 15 deep in the southbound lane of US 421 at the entrance to Kingston Elementary School.
Drivers became impatient and began to honk their horns repeatedly as other drivers waited for an opportunity to turn left into the school.
Before traffic cleared, vehicles were backed up almost to US 421’s intersection with Old US 25.
That should change in August if north and south turn lanes made possible by a $400,000 state appropriation are completed, said state Sen. Ed Worley, D-Richmond.
Another $1.7 million appropriation will pay for widening of Old Wilderness Trail in Richmond to provide access to B. Michael Caudill Middle School, he said.
That appropriation also will fund installation of a lighting and a traffic signal at Old Wilderness Trail’s intersection with the Robert R. Martin Bypass.
Worley said the widening and repaving of Old Wilderness Trail was needed because, “The access road that connects the Martin Bypass with Red House Road could not adequately serve both the new middle school and the adjacent Glenn Marshall Elementary.”
The traffic signal and lighting on the Martin Bypass, plus the turn lanes at Kingston, are all safety measures, Worley said.
The Old Wilderness Trail and Kingston projects were listed as priorities by Madison County School Superintendent Tommy Floyd when Worley and state Rep. Harry Moberly, D-Richmond, met with him before the legislative earlier this year.
The Madison County Road Department will oversee both projects, Worley said.
“The county, which has successfully overseen other projects, such as the improvement of Barnes Mill Road up Page Hill, can get these projects completed more quickly than the state,” he said. “This work is needed before someone is injured or killed at one of those school entrances.”
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
