Oklahoma Sports
oklahomasports.net

Alabama Sports
alabamasports.net

Arizona Sports
arizonasports.net

Arkansas Sports
arkansassports.net

Bryan County Patriot
bryancountypatriot.com

Colorado Sports
coloradosports.net

Emerald Quest Media Care
emeraldquestmedia.net

Georgia Sports
georgiasports.net

Iowa Sports
iowasports.net

Kansas Sports News
kansassports.net

Kentucky Sports
kentuckysports.net

Maryland Sports
marylandsports.net

Midwest Sports
midwestsports.net

Mississippi Sports
mississippisports.net

Missouri Sports
missourisports.net

Nebraska Sports
nebraskasports.net

New Mexico Sports
newmexicosports.net

North Carolina
northcarolinasports.net

Northeast Sports
northeastsports.net

North Dakota Sports
northdakotasports.net

Pennsylvania Sports
pennsylvaniasports.net

SE Sports
sesports.net

South Carolina Sports
southcarolinasports.net

Tennessee Sports
tennesseesports.net

Texas Sports
texassports.net

The Honey Comb Gift
thehoneycombgift.com

What's My Story
whatsmystory.net

Wisconsin Sports
wisconsinsports.net

Oklahoma Sports
oklahomasports.net

Alabama Sports
alabamasports.net

Arizona Sports
arizonasports.net

Arkansas Sports
arkansassports.net

Bryan County Patriot
bryancountypatriot.com

Colorado Sports
coloradosports.net

Emerald Quest Media Care
emeraldquestmedia.net

Georgia Sports
georgiasports.net

Iowa Sports
iowasports.net

Kansas Sports News
kansassports.net

Kentucky Sports
kentuckysports.net

Maryland Sports
marylandsports.net

Midwest Sports
midwestsports.net

Mississippi Sports
mississippisports.net

Missouri Sports
missourisports.net

Nebraska Sports
nebraskasports.net

New Mexico Sports
newmexicosports.net

North Carolina
northcarolinasports.net

Northeast Sports
northeastsports.net

North Dakota Sports
northdakotasports.net

Pennsylvania Sports
pennsylvaniasports.net

SE Sports
sesports.net

South Carolina Sports
southcarolinasports.net

Tennessee Sports
tennesseesports.net

Texas Sports
texassports.net

The Honey Comb Gift
thehoneycombgift.com

What's My Story
whatsmystory.net

Wisconsin Sports
wisconsinsports.net

Oklahoma Sports
oklahomasports.net

Alabama Sports
alabamasports.net

Arizona Sports
arizonasports.net

Arkansas Sports
arkansassports.net

Bryan County Patriot
bryancountypatriot.com

Colorado Sports
coloradosports.net

Emerald Quest Media Care
emeraldquestmedia.net

Georgia Sports
georgiasports.net

Iowa Sports
iowasports.net

Kansas Sports News
kansassports.net

Kentucky Sports
kentuckysports.net

Maryland Sports
marylandsports.net

Midwest Sports
midwestsports.net

Mississippi Sports
mississippisports.net

Missouri Sports
missourisports.net

Nebraska Sports
nebraskasports.net

New Mexico Sports
newmexicosports.net

North Carolina
northcarolinasports.net

Northeast Sports
northeastsports.net

North Dakota Sports
northdakotasports.net

Pennsylvania Sports
pennsylvaniasports.net

SE Sports
sesports.net

South Carolina Sports
southcarolinasports.net

Tennessee Sports
tennesseesports.net

Texas Sports
texassports.net

The Honey Comb Gift
thehoneycombgift.com

What's My Story
whatsmystory.net

Wisconsin Sports
wisconsinsports.net

Oklahoma Sports
oklahomasports.net

Alabama Sports
alabamasports.net

Arizona Sports
arizonasports.net

Arkansas Sports
arkansassports.net

Bryan County Patriot
bryancountypatriot.com

Colorado Sports
coloradosports.net

Emerald Quest Media Care
emeraldquestmedia.net

Georgia Sports
georgiasports.net

Iowa Sports
iowasports.net

Kansas Sports News
kansassports.net

Kentucky Sports
kentuckysports.net

Maryland Sports
marylandsports.net

Midwest Sports
midwestsports.net

Mississippi Sports
mississippisports.net

Missouri Sports
missourisports.net

Nebraska Sports
nebraskasports.net

New Mexico Sports
newmexicosports.net

North Carolina
northcarolinasports.net

Northeast Sports
northeastsports.net

North Dakota Sports
northdakotasports.net

Pennsylvania Sports
pennsylvaniasports.net

SE Sports
sesports.net

South Carolina Sports
southcarolinasports.net

Tennessee Sports
tennesseesports.net

Texas Sports
texassports.net

The Honey Comb Gift
thehoneycombgift.com

What's My Story
whatsmystory.net

Wisconsin Sports
wisconsinsports.net

Tulsa Personal Injury Lawyer
Truskett Law

Bible Blast
Kid's Bible Curriculum

Stu B Que
Tulsa BBQ and Catering

On The Rock Roofing
Owasso Roofer and Roofing Contractor

Oklahoma Dental Office Transitions
Jaquay Enterprise

Oklahoma City Business Lawyer
Bruner Law Firm

Tulsa Dental Crowns
Dental Studio of South Tulsa

McAlester Lawyers
Wagner & Lynch Law

Tulsa Architect
Property Arts

Female Dentist Tulsa
Magnolia Family Dental Care

Tulsa Pediatric Dentist
Children's Dental Health Center

Tulsa Ozone Therapy
Longevity Effect

Broken Arrow Home Health Care
Bright Home Health

Huntsville Personal Injury Lawyer
The Lackey Law Firm

Broken Arrow Pest Control
Bed Bug Heat Treatment

Jenks Dentist
Hopper Dental

Macon Dermatologist Skin Care Physicians of Georgia

Broken Arrow Roof Repair Ark Roofing & Construction

India Missions HBI Global Partners

Tulsa Surveillance Technologies
Tulsa Video Surveillance
Accel Polymers
HIPS Plastic Recycling Business

Insurance Agency in Tulsa AAA Insurance Tulsa

Tulsa Ozone TreatmentDr. Sara Washatka

Tulsa Bathtub ResurfacingBear & Bison Resurfacing Specialists, LLC

Broken Arrow FaceTiteDr. Lee Bottem

Huntsville Web Design
McWilliams Marketing

South Tulsa Counseling
Evolution Mental Health Services

Tulsa General Contractor
Ascend Construction Services

Tulsa IT Support
CamTech

Wholesale Alarm Monitoring
Monitoring America Alarm Co-op

Tulsa Telecommunication Company
Adept Patriot Services

Tulsa Business Coach
Business Acceleration Team

McAlester Criminal Attorney
Foundation Law Firm

Cape Girardeau Palliative Care
Crown Hospice MO

Springfield End of Life Care
Seasons Hospice MO

Victoria TX Palliative Care
Crown Hospice TX

Tulsa End of Life Care
Seasons Hospice OK

Tulsa Business Consulting
Welltide Inc

Broken Arrow Dentist
Dentistry For You Broken Arrow

Sand Springs Dentist Near Me
Dentistry For You Sand Springs

Tulsa Midtown Dentist
Dentistry For You Tulsa

Huntsville Wellness
Synergy Wellness

Tulsa Dentistry Near Me
McDougall DDS

Tulsa Emergency Veterinarian
STATVet Animal Urgent Care

Oklahoma City Dental Practice
Dentistry For You OKC

FMS Aerospace
Aircraft Equipment Racks

The Poop Fairy
Tulsa Pooper Scooper

IV Effect
IV Nutrition

Ashes Away Chimney Sweep Company
Tulsa Chimney Repair

Wagner & Lynch
Eastern Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyer

Rivercross Healthcare
Oklahoma & Kansas Hospice Healthcare

Crown Hospice Saint Louis
Saint Louis Hospice Care

Cold Creek Solutions
Cold Storage Houston

The Office Tulsa
Tulsa Co-working Space

Domesticaide
Tulsa Residential Cleaning Companye

Via Sophia Bookkeeping
Virtual Bookkeeper Tulsa

The Mortgage For Seniors

Calera police chief warns drivers to stay aware during construction

A new temporary roadway is going in on the east side of U.S. 69/75 south of Calera. Staff photo.

By Joey McWilliams

CALERA – The long-awaited construction of U.S. Highway 69/75 through Calera has finally begun. And with it now are all of the new driving circumstances that will come with it.

In some places through Calera and on to the south, the speed limit currently remains the same. But new signs have been posted to remind drivers, not only to slow down, but also that there are now and will be for some time, workers on and near the roadway.

Don Hyde, chief of police in Calera, said it is important that the motoring public pay attention the best they can.

“We knew it was coming,” Hyde said. “We’ve had advance notice. We’ve tried to warn and educate and everything we possibly can to make folks aware of the condition going through Calera.

“The first phase of the construction started Oct. 14, and assigned placements went in just a couple of weeks prior to that. It was in an effort to make folks that are either pass-through traffic or localized traffic to become aware that they need to slow down. And this was before barrier-wall placements were added. We have a reduction in speed down to 55.”

Picture of the new temporary road from Casteel’s Tire having north. Staff photo.

He said that with the construction where it is now, about 60-70 percent of the time there will be workers present. In February, it will be 100 percent.

And now temporary roads are being put into place to help the flow of traffic in upcoming months.

“You’re looking at a cement road developed through there,” Hyde said. “Not necessarily a challenge, but it will certainly be an interruption to traffic if you’re not paying attention. And that’s the key, if you’re not paying attention. You’re going to be driving on a newly-laid roadway that they put in place and diverted for a portion of the road from the north to the south or vice versa to get you safely through what they are developing on the sides.

“So that’s going to be very important. And like I say, we just really, really need folks to be aware.

“We’ve had a hard and heavy push, for lack of another way of putting it, to our social media sites – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. We try to keep them updated as often as we can. We even put out a little teaser every once-in-a-while showing some of the speeds we’re obtaining through here. And again, people make mistakes. You catch yourself off-guard and then you’re running a few miles an hour over the speed limit.

“But we’re still averaging a speed out there of about 64 miles per hour. It’s posted 55. And some of the citations we’ve written are in the mid-to-high 80’s to up to 114 miles an hour. And that’s just not going to be tolerated. All it takes is one slip-up and a life could be lost of the person allegedly violating the law or of an innocent bystander.”

These new and temporary roadways are parts of the prerequisites that have to be in place before the major construction is to begin. Hyde said a thoroughfare must be open so that the traffic is continuously moving. At no point is it to be completely shut down.

“We want folks to become aware of their surroundings and to pay attention to their speed,” Hyde said. “I noted years ago, that with the use of this trailer that monitors your speed, I’d much rather you pay attention than to pay a fine. And that’s true. People mess up, but when it’s blatant, it’s a problem.”

He also said he knows he is just short of begging people to slow down, but recognizes the necessity of this as more people factor into the driving situation.

“In February, the project will be going 100 percent. The construction company is looking at an influx of about 175 to 200-plus employees that will be here on site. These people will be contributing to our economy. And along with doing their job to provide for their family, they are even more people to watch out for.

“There is absolutely nothing that warrants the speeds that we’re seeing right now. I stopped a man just a few moments ago that was driving at a speed in the mid-70’s and he said he was late for a biology exam. And we know things happen, but I haven’t found anything that would warrant the speeds that we’re seeing through here.”

And he addressed those who might say he is being overly concerned about this issue, while encouraging and warning drivers to just be aware.

“In the 32 years of doing this, along with the police officers that on the average have been here 10-12 years, what they’ve witnessed out here – the amount of death, lives lost to youngsters and people throughout our community who are now gone – if you don’t do it for yourself, then do it for the people who have already been lost. Simply slow down. There are so many good people who are missing from this community because of improper driving actions or speed factors or intoxication or narcotics – just a volume of reasons.

“You know, nobody gets up in the morning and thinks, ‘Yeah, I believe I’ll go crash my 2013 Suburban. I have nothing else to do.’ At no time in the history of vehicles would you find somebody to admit that.

“With that said, I’d just ask that they pay attention. With this construction, it adds a whole new meaning to the term ‘defensive driving’ and watching the other driver.”

Comments are closed.