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If you’re driving into Mocksville from points east – slow down.
Starting Monday, there will be new stop signs on North Main Street (US 158 after it leaves the town limits) at Milling Road.
It’s the best, affordable solution to a problem that continues to get worse as more development occurs on Milling Road, Bethel Church Road and Crotts Road. Drivers at the Milling Road stop sign sometimes put their lives on the line when driving onto North Main because you can’t see very far.
Re-aligning Milling Road to Campbell Road just cost way too much, and would mean historic properties would have to be moved or demolished. A stoplight was considered, but that, too, was expensive and likely would not have happened otherwise.
So now, it will be a three-way stop.
That’s a good, if only temporary, solution.
The problem is that drivers come into town in a hurry. They leave that way, too.
Remember, when you enter the Mocksville town limits just down the road on US 158, there is a stop sign ahead. It will be a three-way stop, with traffic stopping in all directions, a first-come first-serve way to enter the intersection.
Our town and state transportation officials have spent quite a bit of money around here lately, most of it good. The only boondoggle as I see it was the crosswalks put at the stoplight in the center of town. It is absolutely the most dangerous place to cross the street in Downtown Mocksville, and you wouldn’t believe the confused looks you see on pedestrians as they try to figure out how to get to where they want to go. It makes no sense when you think of how many streets pedestrians have to cross just to get to the other side. There are drivers going straight, turning left, turning right in both directions. The drives around court square must be navigated as well, which unnecessarily increases the danger when all you want to do is get to the other side of the street.
Then we have the roundabouts. They’re popping up everywhere, almost as quickly as Dollar Generals. The questions surrounding the validity of these roundabouts is still out.
The roundabout in town, where Wilkesboro and Meroney streets, Yadkinville Road and Mumford Drive meet, is the best decision the DOT has made in years. This one works perfectly. And yes, it will work even better when us country folks get used to driving around them.
Just remember, slow down when you get to town. You’re not only sharing the road with more motorists, there are pedestrians.
– Mike Barnhardt