Members of the Highway Committee took time Monday night to hear safety concerns from residents and honor a local man’s service to Carter County.

The Highway Committee held a public hearing Monday night on a proposal to rename Highway 91 to honor not only one man but his brother as well. Currently, the section of highway 91 that runs through the Stoney Creek community is known as the Rondal Cole Memorial highway. The proposal before the committee Monday night would add Rondal’s brother, Ralph, to the honor, making it the Ralph and Rondal Cole memorial highway.

The proposal to add Ralph Cole’s name to the highway was submitted to the county in a letter by State Sen. Rusty Crowe, who represents part of Carter County.

“For some time now, I have been receiving input from a variety of constituents within the 3rd Senatorial District, that we find a way to honor the memory of the late Representative Ralph Cole,” Crowe said in the letter. “With that in mind, and after conferring with many of our friends and Ralph’s family; it appears that the most appropriate approach might be to amend the Rondal Cole Highway to read the ‘Ralph and Rondal Cole Memorial Highway.’”

While the Cole family is supportive of the idea, Crowe said he was sending the request to the Carter County Commission for their consideration as well. Because Highway 91 is a state route, the renaming would require not just the county’s approval but the state’s as well.

“If you approve, I will draft legislation to pass this through to the Senate and House, most probably sometime in April and we can then come together this Spring for a memorial ceremony to unveil the new sign,” Crowe said.

During the public hearing Monday night, no citizens in attendance wished to speak on the renaming of the highway, but several commissioners as well as the county mayor weighed in on the issue.

Commissioner John Lewis, who is not a member of the Highway Committee but was in attendance at the meeting, told the committee there had been a proposal about 10 or 12 years ago to change the name on Highway 91 and the citizens at that time opposed the change. That proposal had been to take Rondal Cole’s name off the highway and put another individual’s name on it.

“I always liked Ralph Cole,” Lewis said. “I think he was a good State Representative but I don’t know if I could vote for this because I know the people of Stoney Creek were against the change back then.

Changing the name that has already been given to a roadway is not something the county should consider lightly, according to committee member Danny Ward. During the January meeting of the committee, Ward expressed similar concerns over a requested road name change. When a road is named in honor of someone, Ward said, the county should leave it alone and not come along later and undo what it had done.

The proposal would not change the name of the highway but rather add to it, Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey said. The renaming would honor the work of both brothers in service to the county, he said.

Since the public hearing and proposal were announced, Humphrey said he has spoken to a lot of citizens regarding the name change and the feedback has been all positive.

“I’ve not had anyone contact me opposing the change,” Humphrey said.

A motion to approve the change to name Highway 91 the Ralph and Rondal Cole Memorial Highway was made by Larry “Doc” Miller and seconded by Jerry Proffitt. The motion passed unanimously by the committee.

Members also heard safety concerns from two county residents, one on Judge Ben Allen Road and one on sinking Creek Road.

Jack Buckles, who lives on Judge Ben Allen Road, came before the committee to request the county look at widening a portion of the roadway. Over the years, most of Judge Ben Allen Road had been widened by the county, Buckles said, with the exception of a small stretch of about 2/10 of a mile. That portion, Buckles said, is narrow and vehicles traveling in opposite directions are not able to safely pass.

A long out of operation rock quarry is preparing to reopen in that area, Buckles said, and will bring with it heavy truck traffic which must travel along that narrow section of roadway.

About a year ago, Buckles said the company that owns the quarry offered to pay to widen the road to county specifications but the offer was turned down by the county.

“I’m asking that the county reconsider that offer if it is still on the table,” Buckles said.

Committee member Charles Von Cannon urged the committee to refrain from taking any action regarding Judge Ben Allen Road at this time, citing a lawsuit filed by some residents of the road against the company that owns the quarry in an attempt to block the quarry’s reopening.

“I think we should wait until we hear the outcome of this judicial hearing that is coming up this month,” Von Cannon said, adding he believes the hearing is set for March 17.

Von Cannon then made a motion to delay discussion of the issues on Judge Ben Allen Road until after the court hearing later this month. The motion was seconded by committee member Robert Gobble and passed unanimously on a vote.

The committee also heard from Johnnie Cannon, who lives on Sinking Creek Road and expressed concern with the number of tractor and trailer trucks and logging trucks that have been traveling and getting stuck on that narrow and winding road.

“They always get stuck,” Cannon said, saying one curve in particular is bad for the trucks. “One got stuck for about 12 hours the other day and it closed the road.”

This issue had been brought before the highway committee previously, Von Cannon said, adding it had been a few years since it had last been addressed. The problem is, he said, the global positioning system (GPS) units used by truck drivers direct the drivers to travel on Sinking Creek Road in order to reach Mullican Flooring which is located on Dalewood Road. Von Cannon said he would speak with officials at the company about providing their drivers with better directions to reach their facility.