To the editor:
In a recent media interview during which he lamented problems with I-71 traffic, Oldham County Judge-Executive David Voegele discussed plans to widen the highway from four to six lanes between the Crestwood exit and Buckner (Highway 393), with a second phase widening from Buckner to La Grange to eventually follow.
I agree that I-71 traffic growth has overburdened the original four-lane design but I am unable to fathom how Voegele attributes rampant speeding on the interstate to the need for more traffic lanes.
Voegele says police could easily write 20 tickets daily “without any sweat because there are just people who will not slow down.” Twenty tickets? How about 200?
The 55 mph limit in the construction zone between exit 14 (Crestwood) and Jefferson County is routinely violated by speeders going twenty to 25 mph and more over the posted limit. That’s because many motorists want to drive 75 to 85 mph on the interstate and don’t see the need to reduce speed in a work zone despite the added hazards. Undoubtedly, the 55 mph limit will also apply to construction from the widening Voegele hopes will extend all the way to La Grange.
I chuckle every time I enter our county and see the large signs that read “Welcome to Oldham County — Speed Strictly Enforced.”
Let’s definitely widen the interstate to improve traffic flow and hopefully allow a means to navigate around those accidents that often bring things to a grinding halt. But I wouldn’t expect drivers to slow down just because another lane is added in each direction. Without living up to what the sign reads, all we should expect is six lanes of speeders instead of four.
Barry L. Wilding
Crestwood