Roy L. Williams
Ross Bridge Parkway traffic lights
A new traffic light is being installed on Ross Bridge Parkway in front of Deer Valley Elementary School.
Travelers along the busy Ross Bridge Parkway thoroughfare will soon find driving a lot safer.
City workers on Wednesday, July 8, installed a traffic light on Ross Bridge Parkway directly in front of Deer Valley Elementary. Nearly two miles away, a road crew was preparing to put up a new traffic light at the intersection of Ross Bridge Parkway and Shannon-Oxmoor Road.
Lane Siddall, whose 9-year-old son Bentley is a student at Deer Valley Elementary, said the traffic light in front of the school will be a big help for parents dropping off and picking up their kids every day.
“Prior to these lights going up, a Hoover police officer had to direct traffic to help parents make the left turn to the school,” Siddall said. “We're thankful for the new lights, which will be safer for the officers as well as motorists and those who walk to school.”
Siddall said he is also excited about the new traffic light going up on Ross Bridge Parkway at Shannon-Oxmoor Road.
“In my four years of living here I have probably seen at least 12 accidents at Shannon-Oxmoor Road and Ross Bridge Parkway,” he said.
Hoover City Councilman John Lyda said traffic has grown substantially on Ross Bridge Parkway in recent years and the city is glad to help.
“These traffic lights have been needed for a while,” Lyda said.
Hoover Board of Education President Derrick Murphy, who lives in a neighboring Ross Bridge community and has an 8-year-old daughter at Deer Valley Elementary, said residents are appreciative of the city for installing the new traffic lights.
“Deer Valley is one of our larger elementary schools so this will be a tremendous help,” Murphy said.
By the end of the year, Deer Valley Elementary is getting another boost that Murphy said is also needed: a new sidewalk that will make it safer for parents who walk their kids to the school. Murphy said the city will build a sidewalk connecting Deer Valley Elementary with a subdivision adjacent to the school.
“Ross Bridge Parkway is a very busy road, so this will make it much safer for parents who walk their kids to school and for those who like to jog,” Murphy said.
