Resident urges lower speed limit on Smith Hall Road; commission approves 25 mph pending signatures

Resident Jason Milligan told the Wilson County Road Commission that he is not asking for road reconstruction but for a lower posted speed on Smith Hall Road, which he said is 10–11 feet wide and sees weekend cut-through traffic to Watertown.

"All we want is a lower speed limit ... It's about safety of my children," Milligan said, adding that a bus regularly uses the road and that minor, repeated vehicle damage has forced his family to avoid filing insurance claims.

Commissioners asked about the county petition policy and TDOT guidance for citizen-requested speed changes. The commission noted the county’s practical minimum speed for a county road is 25 mph; members said TDOT guidance typically calls for an independent engineering study when citizens request a speed change, but that a local agreement among property owners can sometimes obviate a full study.

After discussion, a motion and second were made to proceed with lowering the posted speed to 25 mph for the affected segment of Smith Hall Road, contingent on collecting signatures from the local property owners to comply with the county’s petition procedure. The board asked staff to provide a list of property owners on the road and to check the TDOT independent-study requirement; Milligan offered to pay for signs if necessary.

The board approved the motion by voice vote.

The next procedural steps recorded were: staff to provide the owner list, Milligan to attempt to collect signatures, and staff to clarify whether the TDOT study must be completed or whether the local petition and board action suffice prior to sign replacement.