The Sparta Board of Mayor and Aldermen approving the installation of a three-way stop at the intersection of Sewell Drive and Turntable Road Thursday.
Mayor Jerry Lowery said the city has received several complaints regarding the intersection. Drivers turning left from Turntable Road onto Sewell Drive must pull out into heavy traffic.
“It’s just a tough see sometimes, and people have almost been hit,” Lowery said. “And reminder there is a daycare being built and some future townhomes possibly on that road, so it’s going to be a crowded intersection.”
Lowery said the board needed to take action before the start of the school year when congestion will increase in the area.
Police Chief Dillard Quick said the project will include three solar-powered, lighted stop signs that flash at night to increase visibility. Quick said the total cost for the signs, paint, and labor should remain under $5,000.
“As long as the three stop signs are lighted, I think we’ll, we should easily be able to go under five thousand easy,” Quick said. “So, we’ll get that done, and we’ll start advertising that pretty quick.”
The board authorized the project to proceed with a budget of up to $5,000 to ensure the work is completed within the next two weeks. Lowery said the lighted signs are a more efficient and cost-effective solution than a traditional traffic signal.
“But a straight, a red light, I mean you’re going to have to run power to it and what, seventy-five thousand, maybe a hundred for a red light by the time you run the power to it?” Quick said.
Vice Mayor Robert Officer said the city has successfully used similar traffic control measures in the past to address speeding and safety concerns near the high school. Alderman Floyd said the board should also consider adding a crosswalk and signage on Monterey Street near the downtown restaurants to protect pedestrians walking from nearby parking lots.
The board also implemented the temporary 180-day moratorium on new data center developments that had been previously voted on, while zoning regulations and development standards are reviewed. Additionally, the board approved the purchase of a 2026 Silverado for the Public Works Department and a 2026 Ford Police Interceptor for the police department.
The city will begin advertising the new traffic pattern at the Sewell Drive intersection immediately.
