Town Meeting Set To Address Bypass Intersection Dangers
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A fatal crash on May 8 at the Hwy. 315 and Hwy. 7 intersection on the bypass in Water Valley prompted calls for additional safety measures.
WATER VALLEY – A town meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 17, at 2 p.m. to address growing safety concerns at the intersections along the Hwy. 7 bypass in Water Valley. The meeting will take place at the Water Valley High School cafeteria and is open to the public.
Mississippi Northern District Transportation Commissioner John Caldwell will attend the meeting to hear directly from local residents and city officials. The event is being organized by Water Valley resident Libby Kuchta, who advocated for safety improvements at the bypass intersections, particularly at the Hwy. 315 and Hwy. 7 intersection.
“This is our chance to convey to Mr. Caldwell how concerned and even scared we are for the safety of our families, friends, and neighbors,” Kuchta told the Herald. “If they see how many of us want a change, we have a better chance of a change. There is power in numbers.”
Guests should enter the school at the doors by the black gates at the end of the main building.
Longstanding concerns about the intersection continued to build after a deadly crash on May 8 that claimed the life of 42-year-old Antonie Hilliard. The accident occurred when a southbound vehicle on Hwy. 7 failed to stop at the four-way intersection and collided with Hilliard, who was entering town on Hwy. 315.
Hilliard, a Water Valley native, was a University of Mississippi graduate and a military veteran. His death marked the third crash at the intersection this year.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation last made changes to the intersection in March 2022, when it was converted from a two-way to a four-way stop. Prior to that, only Hwy. 315 traffic was required to stop.
Speaking shortly after the May 8 fatal crash, Commissioner Caldwell told the Herald that traffic engineers will assess the intersection.
“Our engineers are always looking for ways to make our highways safer.”
Caldwell emphasized that while driver error is difficult to prevent, MDOT will explore any options to improve safety.
