March 30, 2011

Navigating the sharp curves along Watts Passage Road in Albemarle County recently got safer. Greg Morgolione, was concerned about the dangerous curves near his home and contacted Sargent Solutions. Now, new signs have been posted to warn drivers of the sharp turns.

"VDOT and police work with numbers and if you have a lot of high-profile accidents you get attention, but if no one knows about it, then nothing happens," said Morgolione. "I thought the opportunity we had was to create awareness, to say maybe you want to look into this."

Morgolione contacted Ken Boyd, an Albemarle County Supervisor in hopes of getting the Virginia Department of Transportation's attention. Boyd says he was glad Morgolione spoke up.

"We need citizens like that to point things out to us so we can try to do something about it," said Boyd

Initially residents near Watts Passage Road had painted arrows on trees in hopes of warning drivers of twists and turns on the road. However, they agree that the new signs are much better indicators of the sharp curves and as a result drivers are slowing down.

"Whatever the reason is behind it, people are slowing down and the signs most certainly are going to help," said Morgolione. The new signs can be seen for about a half a mile or so, beginning at the hill near Watts Farm and extending down past the railroad trestle.