Dangerous intersection in Callisburg
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Updated: 9:12 AM Apr 14, 2008
Dangerous intersection in Callisburg
CALLISBURG, TX - Being a safe driver takes experience, patience and concentration. But just because you're playing it safe, doesn't mean everyone else is. One dangerous intersection in Callisburg has parents scared because most children have to take the bus across it to school.
Posted: 11:10 PM Apr 12, 2008
Reporter: Stephanie Brletic
Email Address: stephanie.brletic@kxii.com
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CALLISBURG, Tex. -- Being a safe driver takes experience, patience and concentration. But just because you're playing it safe, doesn't mean everyone else is. One dangerous intersection in Callisburg has parents scared because most children have to take the bus across it to school.

It’s not safety at school that has parents in Callisburg worried, it's their children's daily commute across Highway 82 and FM 678. They say the intersection is notorious for being highly traveled, often at high speeds.

"I'm mad, it makes me mad that we don't have an overpass," said Terry Wescoat, a Callisburg parent.

Terry Wescoat has a good reason to be mad. This past Tuesday his children were involved in a bad accident. The small car they were driving in was hit by a tractor trailer at the intersection. Fortunately everyone survived, but Callisburg superintendent Charles Holloway says he's been with the district for five years and knows not everyone can be that lucky.

"We've had one fatality since I've been here and we had the near fatality last Tuesday evening, and, you know, our busses cross here. If something happens to one of them, that's going to be a major fatality situation," says Holloway.

Wescoat says there are eleven district busses that have to drive on FM 678 twice a day, but says the area between east and West Highway 82 isn't wide enough for busses to sit and wait to cross.

"Our busses are so long that they stick out on these intersections when they're crossing. There's not enough room in between in the overpass for our busses to have full clearance," says Wescoat.

Superintendent Holloway says state troopers don't have enough man power to help control the crossing and adds an overpass could make all the difference in the world. So community members have been working together to get building an overpass to the top of TXDOT’s to-do list.

"With the help of the community members and everything we've moved up to the top 5 on the list and they're talking about 2011, 2013 before this project even gets off the ground. Well, those busses cross a lot of time between now and that length of time," says Holloway.

Wescoat and Holloway say they see close calls in the intersection each day and they're not alone. This area has some parents so scared that they're driving their children up to 20 minutes out of the way to avoid the crossing.


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