David Rogers has had enough of the trucks going to and from the Yacolt Mountain Quarry.
They drive too fast for conditions along Kelly and Gabriel roads, he alleges. There isn’t enough room for them to safely turn from Kelly Road to Lucia Falls Road. It isn’t safe for residents in the area to exit their driveways without risking a big rig barreling down on them.
“We don’t feel safe,” said Rogers, who lives on Northeast 317th Street, off of Kelly Road.
Rogers, who has been an outspoken opponent of the mountaintop rock quarry from the beginning, and his neighbor Howard Jones have attended Clark County council meeting after council meeting to demand the county address their concerns over safety in the area.
The county has begun to respond to some of Rogers’ and Jones’ concerns, with more follow-up planned throughout the summer. Among the improvements are:
• Restriping the intersection of Kelly and Gabriel roads to improve turning.
• Clearing vegetation at the intersection of Gabriel Road and state Highway 503 to improve stopping and intersection sight distance.
• Putting up warning signs alerting people to oncoming truck traffic.
• Working with the quarry operator, J. L. Storedahl & Sons, on improving road conditions, including increasing the turning radius at Lucia Falls Road and Kelly Road.
County staff is “doing the best they can in most of the situations” Rogers has pointed out, Public Works Director Heath Henderson said.
And according to a traffic analysis of the road surrounding the quarry, Clark County’s Public Works department has found that some of Rogers’ claims are unfounded.
Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy James Naramore said there’s no indication that truck drivers are speeding in the area.
The speed limit on the rural county roads is 50 miles per hour. The average travel speed on Gabriel Road is 38 miles per hour for trucks and 44 miles per hour for automobiles. The average travel speed on Kelly Road is 42 miles per hour for trucks and 51 miles per hour for automobiles.
It’s evident, based on those numbers, that trucks are slowing for conditions, he said.
“I don’t perceive a problem with the speed,” Naramore said.
Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor Chris Horne said based on the traffic studies, the county doesn’t have the legal authority to drop the speed limit for trucks.
Rogers also has alleged that there have been numerous accidents in the area, but the county said there’s no evidence of that.
Rogers, however, said the changes are not enough and that he disagrees with the county’s assessment of the traffic in the area. He fears it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured driving along the road.
“They’re not paying any attention at all,” Rogers said.
Representatives from J. L. Storedahl & Sons did not return a request for comment Monday, though Henderson said the county is working with quarry officials.
