Raleigh Business Owner Still Waiting For Turn Lane Promised 16 Years Ago

Crossroads Veterinary Hospital is a busy place.It is even busier outside.

The animal hospital opened 16 years ago on Jones Franklin Road.Over the years apartments and businesses have popped up along thetwo-lane road, bringing a lot more traffic.

"People are tailgating, not seeing that people are turning and there areconstant rear-end accidents here. There's at least one a month," saidSandy Albright, owner of the animal hospital.

A check of Raleigh police records shows over the last five years, 64wrecks happened within a half mile of the animal hospital.

Albright says the city promised a turn lane and a traffic light between U.S. 1 and Interstate 440 when she gave them a piece of her property for a right of way 16 years ago. She is still waiting.

Many of the wrecks have happened when someone stops to turn. Trafficbacks up behind them and sometimes there are rear-end collisions.

When Bauman once tried to turn into the vet hospital, a driver slammedinto the back of her car.

"My greyhound went flying up into the windshield, bit through its entirepaw," Bauman said. "I had broken bones in my face and still seektreatment for it. So, there are some pretty serious accidents here andit's not uncommon to see."

"One of these days there's going to be a fatality and I would like thecity to do something about it before there is a fatality," she said.

Raleigh traffic engineers say they have no record of a light or turnlane. They say Jones Franklin should be widened at some point, but thebudget is too tight right now.