New project to improve busy intersection off Trent Creek Road in New Bern

New Bern resident Bethany Narron said she has witnessed several cars run into a ditch to avoid being in an accident near her home.

"We bought our house in 2016," she said. "And it has been quite frustrating, to say the least."

Last week an SUV collided into a school bus heading through the Trent Creek Road and U.S. Highway 17 Business intersection across from Ben D. Quinn Elementary School. Since then, many residents have raised their concerns.

More: School bus, SUV involved in crash in front of Ben D. Quinn Elementary School

As traffic volumes continue to increase, so do potential crashes — especially along major roadways such as U.S. Highway 17.

An N.C. 43 Connector project valued at $25 million is set to begin construction in 2025, said Andrew Barksdale, a spokesman for the N.C. Dept. of Transportation. The project will not only extend N.C. 43 Highway off of U.S. 17, but it will also improve the Trent Creek Road intersection.

The project was delayed; construction was originally set to begin in 2019.

Barksdale said the connector will be a new road from U.S. 17 that connects with Trent Creek Road. Trent Creek will be widened to four lanes, and the intersection will have more turning lanes, upgraded traffic signals, and more, he said.

Narron resides in the Trent Creek Road area and drives through the intersection daily.

"I have gotten in almost several accidents at that intersection," Narron said. "People trying to get their kids back home risk getting in an accident just to go across the street, because people are constantly cutting in front of you."

Another New Bern resident, Alisha Woolls, said she has driven through U.S. 17 and Trent Creek Road intersection since 2017 to pick up and drop off her children at Ben D. Quinn Elementary School. She said she believes there are improvements that need to be made to make the roadway safer.

"I think there could be better timing done with the lights," Woolls said. "Sometimes, specifically if I'm trying to go to the store, and I'm leaving from my house, I feel like that light is really fast. I think that probably contributes to people trying to make it through that light sometimes. Maybe going faster than they should be to try and beat the light."

Narron said she agrees that the traffic light turns from red to green too slow or green to red too fast.

"You have two cars that can get through and then it's turning red again," she said. "It's a mixture of the light and people being on their phones. I think that's why people are running these red lights because they're coming from going 55 mph and going straight in the zone. Especially if they're not from around here to know that the light exists."

Barksdale said all of N.C. DOT's intersections meet federal guidelines for the timing of the lights, and timing is based on the speed limit and the size of the intersection.

"High traffic volume intersections are going to have more crashes," he said. "There may be millions of cars going through there every year."

From April 1, 2017, to Mar. 31, 2022, there have been 22 reported crashes at the Trent Creek Road and U.S. 17 intersection, according to N.C. DOT crash frequency data. Five of those crashes resulted in injuries and 17 crashes resulted in property damage onl.

Woolls said she goes through the intersection at the busiest times of the day, twice a day Monday through Friday. She doesn't fully blame the timing of the traffic lights for the roadway being risky.

"I particularly have seen people just not paying attention at all coming out of the school's driveway there," she said. "I'll be going straight across to take my kids to school and people will be turning left out of the school's driveway and they won't pay attention at all. They'll just turn left right in front of you."

Based on an accident report, Barksdale said it's standard procedure for N.C. DOT to investigate the intersection, especially after a fatality. The process includes getting new traffic volumes, running a crash report, going out and looking at how the intersection is designed, and looking at the road signage.

"It is very unsafe," Narron said. "We as people that live out here and have to go through that intersection on a daily definitely feel like a change needs to happen. For our safety and other people's safety."

Reporter Symone Graham covers local public safety for the Sun Journal. Have a story tip or idea? Send it her way at sgraham@gannett.com. 

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Project to improve busy intersection off Trent Creek Road in New Bern