Pictures of New School Construction Three Weeks Before Term Begins
Accidents Waiting to Happen due to Traffic Routing, Nearby Hazards
August 11, 2007 - A tour of the three new Cleburne elementary schools on August 5, three weeks before the new term begins, revealed accidents waiting to happen due to the traffic routing plan, as well as much construction work still undone.
The in and out traffic plan has two lanes meeting head-on going opposite directions, two lanes turning left into one lane, and in general arrows and markings that look like the work of a drunken sailor.
Here's an example at the new Santa Fe campus.
| One exit from the new Santa Fe schools has the left lane meeting the incoming traffic head on . Arrows direct the two exiting lanes to zigzag to the right, and the incoming lane to turn left in front of them. In bumper to bumper traffic, the arrows will not be visible. |
| Here's the view going into the new Santa Fe school. There is only one entrance lane, and cars in it are expected to turn left in front of two exiting lanes, one of which meets the entrance lane head on if someone doesn't obey the arrows, which will be invisible in bumper to bumper traffic. |
| Exiting from the other side at the new Santa Fe school, two lanes of traffic squeeze into one lane to the left. |
| Another view of the two lanes forced to squeeze into one lane turning left. |
| Outside of the new Santa Fe school. |
| Construction is still very much underway at the new Adams school. |
| Heavy equipment is still moving dirt at the new Adams school. |
| The new schools all look alike. |
| Again the traffic flow is confusing to say the least. At the new Adams, the exit road is not finished. |
| At the new Irving school, neither road leading into the school is finished. |
| Pipe, construction materials and heavy equipment in front of the new Irving school. |
| A gas well is just across the street from the new Irving school. |
| This view shows how close the gas well is to the new Irving school. |
| An Atmos Energy control station is right across the road from the new Irving school. Atmos is currently being sued after gas leaks allegedly caused two deaths and several injuries when a Cleburne house exploded. The house did not even have gas service. |
| Just down the road from the new Irving school is a propane tank farm. Some citizens registered objections to the new Irving school site because of the proximity to the propane tank farm and the gas well, as well as its proximity to the jail. School officials dismissed the objections. The recent gas explosion in Dallas included propane tanks. |
| And again more arrows. |
| Heavy equipment, roofing materials, propane tanks and tar melting pots occupy the parking lot at the High School. |
| A propane tank and tar melting apparatus sit at one entrance to the high school. This entrance is already being used by students involved in early activities. |
| Roofing material on top of the High School building. |