ROUTE 78 CHANGES REQUESTED FOLLOWING FATAL CRASH
By Gregory J. Lamoureux
County Courier
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in the January 16th print edition of the County Courier. To subscribe to our print edition for all our news, click here.
HIGHGATE: Concerned citizens are asking the Highgate Selectboard to help make Route 78 safer following a deadly crash there in December.
During the most recent Highgate Selectboard meeting on January 2nd, citizens brought up the topic of safety in regard to Route 78, just west of East Highgate.
The area has been the site of several severe crashes in recent years, including one that killed 69 year old David Roddy of Highgate on December 17th.
Nancy Fiske, one of the citizens who brought up the matter in front of the selectboard said she had already been in contact with the State of Vermont, Department of Transportation, with the hopes that something could be done about the dangerous section of road, but she was told that the request would have to come from the Highgate Town Selectboard.
“I am specifically asking for blinking caution lights,” Nancy Fiske told the board.
Fiske asked that the signs warn drivers about the winding, downhill road, especially in regard to tractor trailer trucks.
Nancy Fiske’s husband, Wayne, suggested to the board that portable, solar powered message boards be used in order to get the message out between now and whenever more permanent signage can be erected.
“Hopefully people will act on it,” Wayne Fiske said.
The board seemed to have a positive view of the idea, “I think it is a great idea. I think it is long overdue,” said Selectboard member Joshua LaRocke.
The topic also brought up the conversation of other locations that need better signage throughout the town. A resident pointed out that another area of town needs a warning sign for a stop sign farther back.
“That’s easier for the town to do,” said Selectboard Chair Sharon Bosquet, noting that in instances where a state road is not involved, the town does not need to go through the same regulatory hurdles.
It also came up that the S-curves just west of East Highgate could also be a place for police to patrol more often.
How quickly the State will be able to act is anyone’s guess, though most instances of requests like this one require lengthy engineering and study processes.
