New Hope Road resident asks county for road improvements

Elijah Jones agrees other lives should not be risked for a school bus to try to bring his child directly in front of their New Hope Road residence in Midland City, where a Dale County school bus overturned Aug. 12 after sliding on the slippery dirt road.

What Jones doesn’t favor are other dangers posed to drivers who live on the road. Jones told Dale County commissioners that trucking companies, a concrete plant and a landfill along the road make traffic heavy and child play unsafe.

He went before the commission Monday to ask for improvements.

“I’m willing to stake my life it’s not another dirt road in Dale County that has as much traffic as we do. Then they’ve built subdivisions there, people drive four-wheelers, and initially trucks were supposed to go one way. Now they use both ways,” Jones said.

“We pay taxes just like everybody else and I just want to see what we can do to come to a conclusion. I’ve worked for the county 30 years. I just come to y’all with my hands out asking for help.”

Dale County Engineer Derek Brewer said rock had been placed on the road in the area where the school bus overturned.

He said he discussed asking the companies along the road and city officials to help financially. It would cost about $300,000 a mile to pave a dirt road, he said.

“We need to sort of all work together on getting that road into shape,” he said.

Commissioner Gerald Harden told Jones he would do whatever he could to get the road in better condition.

“I hope we can get the road graded, the ditches pulled and try to get some rock until we can get some money to pave,” he said.