County sends letter to highway patrol, following complaints about Moore Road

MILL SPRING — After hearing several concerns last week, Polk County Manager Marche Pittman has sent a letter to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, asking for the agency’s help with enforcement of the new 35 mph speed limit on Moore Road in Mill Spring.

Pittman reached out late last week, after several residents expressed concerns over speeding and increased traffic during last Monday’s public hearing over allowing golf carts on Moore Road.

“According to the citizens at our meeting, since the speed limit change, the traffic count has increased and cars are ignoring the change,” Pittman said in his letter to the department. “One resident [Mary Dill]relayed a particularly alarming story of her husband being hit by a motorist while on his tractor. The car hit the tractor and left the scene of the accident, not even checking to see if her husband was okay.”

Dill was one of 13 residents who spoke during last week’s public hearing, who told commissioners about her husband’s accident on Moore Road.

Several others spoke of the traffic problems on Moore as well as other roads near the Tryon International Equestrian Center.

Mill Spring’s Donnie Edwards asked commissioners to do something about the traffic on Moore Road. He said the traffic count used to be 100 vehicles per day, and now there are 1,000 vehicles per day there.

Frank Lilly, owner of Overmountain Vineyards, said people are flying on Moore Road at 75 mph. He said he has anxiety over pulling out onto Moore Road from Sandy Plains Road.

Lilly spoke of an accident at the Sandy Plains Road intersection last Monday morning, where cars were flipped upside down. He said a traffic light is needed there.

“The traffic we are seeing is over the top,” Lilly said.

Lilly said there are huge trucks coming out of the Mercer property, and kudzu is growing on both sides of the road.

“We’re basically living in a resort area, and we need to have resort speed limits,” Lilly said.

Pittman told residents at last Monday’s meeting that he would reach out to the highway patrol.

“The citizens that attended the meeting feel that since the Tryon International Equestrian Center has been operating, there are more people using that stretch of road than ever before,” Pittman said in his letter. “Because of the increased traffic and the speed limit change, the citizens would like to see more enforcement along Moore Road.

“I appreciate your willingness to consider this action to help alleviate the fears of the citizens along this road.”