Wilson Dam Road speeders warned

MUSCLE SHOALS -- When the new six-lane portion of Wilson Dam Road opened a month ago, it made travel much easier across the Tennessee River.

"We've seen an increase in traffic there,'' said Muscle Shoals Police Chief Robert Evans.

But along with the increased convenience and increased traffic has come increased speed -- something that won't be tolerated by police.

Evans said the new section of Wilson Dam Road, from Avalon Avenue to River Road, has a speed limit of 45 mph.

"(The Alabama Department of Transportation) has raised the speed limit on (Patton Island bridge) to 55 mph,'' Evans said. "But from River Road south, it's 45 mph and it's clearly marked.''

Evans said his officers have written numerous tickets for speeding since the road reopened.

"And we continue to write tickets,'' he said. "They've written some for speeds of 70 and 75 mph."

"I don't think people realize just how fast they're going,'' added Muscle Shoals police Lt. Tommy Skipworth. "(The roadway) is smooth, wide open and they're going fast.''

Evans said the smooth surface and wide roadway has motorists unaware how fast they're going.

"They get the idea that they're on an interstate and they're driving like that,'' the chief said. "They're flying on that stretch. You can be driving 60 mph and (traffic) is just blowing past.''

"The crazy thing is someone doing the speed limit could almost get run over,'' Skipworth said.

Evans said the department has gotten numerous complaints from motorists about the speeds that are being driven on the road.

The chief said the speeds seem to be worse during work hours, "but really, it's all day long.''

Evans said the department already has a presence on the highway, but will be doing more.

"The bottom line is, rather than writing tickets, we'd rather people slow down,'' the chief said. "But we're going to saturate that area with officers and slow down the traffic and make travel safer for everyone traveling on Wilson Dam Road and the access roads.''

Tom Smith can be reached at 740-5757 or tom.smith@timesdaily.com.