An influx of drivers heading to one destination — Branson High School — is leading to car wrecks at several intersections and on Buchanan Road.
There have been at least three wrecks involving teen-agers going to the high school in the last few weeks. The latest wreck occurred Tuesday, Sept 7 on Buchanan Road when a student’s vehicle overturned several times down an embankment. Buchanan Road, coming off of Highway 248, is narrow with sharp curves and steep embankments.
Parents say something needs to be done to make the road safer, such as installing a guardrail. Devon Ellis, whose children were recently involved in a wreck on Buchanan Road, wrote a letter to the Branson school board expressing her concerns about the road and the safety of the school district’s students. “You get inexperienced drivers on that kind of road and it’s not a good combination,” she said. “It’s (a guardrail) not much, but it might save a life.”
The road is owned and maintained by Taney County. Ellis said she contacted county officials and was told it would be a Branson school board issue. School board members have said they are also concerned about the safety of their students traveling to and from school.
Crashes have also happened at Highways F and 465 where they meet with the southwest outer road leading to the school. Other parents have suggested a traffic signal be placed there. There were also accidents at the same locations last year.
The high school has an enrollment of more than 1,000 students. “The school is growing and traffic is only going to get worse,” Ellis said.
The Buchanan Road issue is expected to be addressed at the next Branson Board of Education meeting Thursday, Sept. 9 at
Courtesy of Branson Daily Independent