RICARDO, Tx — There’s rising concern amongst neighbors in Ricardo with the FM 1118 and Highway 77 intersection. There’s been two accidents in the same week around the same area since the opening of the highway.
Long time Ricardo resident and retired Highway Patrol sergeant Danny Pena said he has to cross the FM 1118 and Highway 77 intersection often, but it’s not as safe as it could be.
“I know what it's like to reconstruct accidents and for accidents to happen, so I’m very careful crossing the road. Your average citizen doesn't have the experience I do from working in Highway Patrol but driving in a car or motorcycle with lower visibility, you can't see,” Pena said.
But Pena isn’t the only one who has felt scared crossing. Several neighbors took to social media to express their worries and warn other drivers, saying the concrete barriers are limiting visibility on oncoming traffic, stating they have gotten into close call accidents, even avoiding the highway at all costs.
Pena said he witnessed the aftermath of an accident on Thursday and knows of more. He showed KRIS 6 News the debris from that accident and another earlier in the week. There was leftover glass, broken mirrors and parts of a bumper.
He said the concrete barricades were originally placed further up and recently moved more down, but he feels they should be moved even more to allow drivers to see better.
“We have to travel this road everyday and it’s very dangerous and there’s more intersections further South that are having the same problem. This is just the busier one right now,” Pena said.
He also took notice that there are no designated turning lanes, experiencing his own close call.
“Yesterday I was going to the Feed Store trying to cross and I thought I was was going to get rear ended,” Pena said.
Many other residents have expressed to KRIS 6 and social media that they are worried for their children's safety when school comes around, which is right around the corner. They said drivers need to be aware of the speed limit when driving down that stretch of Highway 77, but also to pay attention to when buses turn.
Parents are hoping for changes sooner rather than later considering the school is just down the street and many have to cross the intersection to drop off their kids.
KRIS 6 reached out to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) who said they met with Kleberg County officials Friday morning to discuss the intersections in that area and safety measures. They want to remind drivers that the speed limit is 55 MPH in that stretch of the highway.
TXDOT officials were on site in the early afternoon meeting with a contractor to discuss the safety control measures. They plan on adding additional safety measures like message boards and edge-lit LED stop signs to warn drivers of upcoming intersection. They also closed the Wagner Street crossover for the remainder of the project adding that it is a conflict point between low traffic crossing over and high speed traffic.
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