CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Neighborhood News reporter Tony Jaramillo first told you about the lack of a protected left turn on Timbergate Drive heading toward S Staples Street back in June. The city had initially planned to make changes next year, but it turns out those changes were green-lighted much sooner.
Tony Jaramillo interviewed Delores Jones back in June. She showed this map that revealed Timbergate Dr. was only one of two streets without a protected left turn onto South Staples between Yorktown Blvd and McArdle Rd.
Jones works out at Crunch Fitness. After her morning bike workout, she explained that making a left turn onto Staples from Timbergate could be a slow process.
“I usually have to wait about two light changes before I can turn safely... probably 10 minutes, six days a week.”
But now that’s changed. City crews have installed a protected left-turn green arrow signal on both sides of Staples.
“I think that's great, and I know they have a lot of priorities, but safety is important too," she said.
Some research by KRIS6 News highlights safety concerns. According to the Crash Reporting Information Systems, 15 crashes at the Staples/Timbergate intersection have occurred since 2014.
Employees at nearby businesses told us they’ve seen many wrecks. Tony Jaramillo asked Nelly Martinez, who works nearby, how many wrecks she sees or hears during work."At least once a week, sometimes more often. There’s usually an ambulance, cops, or firefighters coming through.”
It's no surprise, then, that she’s thrilled to see the change.
Nelly added, “It was really exciting when I first saw it. I said, look, it’s up! One of our employees got in an accident at that light, so knowing that it’ll be fixed now, it’s amazing.”
Some work is still being done on lights at the intersection, so the city says drivers should be prepared for daytime single-lane closures from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October 31.
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