SAN ANTONIO- A big rig loses its load just north of downtown leaving beer cans everywhere. The accident happened as the truck was going from I-35 south onto I-10 west Sunday morning. As a result that section of highway was shut down just about all day.
It can be a hard turn to handle but people who live near the scene in the Five Points Neighborhood said they have a solution to keep accidents like this from happening again.
“The problem is that 35, the ramp that connects it to 10, it's quite an angle and so when people are not at the reduced speed there's an accident there and it happens quite a bit,” explains Anya Davis, president of the Five Points Home Owner’s Association.
Anya Davis lives within a stones throw from the expressways interchange. She said she is well familiar with frequent accidents where the highways merge. To remedy the problem Anya would like to see the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) redirect the big rigs to Loop 410 and Loop 1604.
“Like many other cities they redirect 18-wheelers to companies that are going just through San Antonio and not actually doing business here around the city so that it doesn't harm our historic buildings,” said Anya.
TXDOT already banned big rigs carrying hazardous materials from coming through the center of town because of an accident that caused a chemical spill about 13- years ago. According to the agency the signs make the speed limit clear.
“Since then we have placed signs on that curb to inform the motorist about that sharp curve ahead and also what the posted speed limit is in that area,” explained Laura Lopez, TXDOT spokesperson.
The president of the Five Points Association offered another option she'd like to see happen.
“We could have traffic cameras that could actually send tickets to the trucks and other vehicles that curve at dangerous speeds”.
The speed limit on the curved part of the highway is 25 miles an hour. There is also an electronic sign that informs drivers of their speed.
