Motorists Contact WRAL About Highway 70 Woes

If you have driven Highway 70 west out of Raleigh, you may have been through it. Motorists are faced with a hill, then suddenly two lanes merging into one into a work zone. It can be dangerous and nerve-wracking.

Al Eline watches the activity on Highway 70 West each day from The Shed Depot across the street.

"Continuously, you're hearing tires screech and you get the occasional crunch and you know that it was an actual impact, and I usually come running out of my office to see if anybody's hurt or call 911," he said.

There are warning signs, but Eline and his wife said they do not do the job.

"What's happening is they're doing 55 coming over the top of the hill. There's the sign and there is the stopped traffic. It's not allowing enough time for the people to stop," Eline said.

There have been several crashes heading up to the lane squeeze in the work zone. One of the worst accidents happened Saturday. A car was hit by a Jeep in the back, which was then forced into a pick-up truck.

State Department of Transportation officials are watching the work zone and they have put up more warning signs. The DOT inspects all construction zones, but in most cases, it is the contractor's responsibility to maintain safety.