For years, residents off county roads 1300 and 6940 say they’re happy to see that the wait is over for some much-needed road improvements.
“It’s been a long time coming, but we finally got it done,” said Larry Burleson, who has lived off of the county road for several years. Burleson says that it was ongoing battle between residents and the city to have some asphalt laid down. So, last week when road crews showed up and began making road improvements to both 1300 and 6940, he was pleasantly surprised.
“It’s smooth, and when it rained the other day, we didn’t slide off right into the ditches. You know, it’s a 100% better than what it was. We don’t have the ruts. They did a really good job.”
Burleson, who has daughter with disabilities, says he now feels more comfortable for the safety of drivers, as well as that of his daughter and other neighborhood children when they go outside to play.
Just a few houses down, Olen Merry is just as impressed with the newly smoothed down road.
“It looks better than it has in 20 years,” Merry said. “It’s the smoothest I’ve ever seen it, so I’m really hoping this winter we’ll be able to get in and out with no trouble, and without the wreckers and four-wheel drives.”
For as long as Merry has lived in his home off of county road 1300, he has had to pull out countless cars from ruts when it has rained, and has even witnessed a few accidents as result of the poor conditions the roads were in.
Today, however he says, “better late than never.”
Both Burleson and Merry accredit the road improvements to Judge Tom Head. They, along with other residents from the area, went and spoke with Head back in June and believe that the changes are thanks to his quick response in getting crews out there to work.
“Finally, we went to the right people,” said Burleson.
