PIKEVILLE – Another two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Town Branch Road and U.S. 23 has highway department officials revisiting the importance of finishing a study that will be sent to Frankfort to propose changes to alleviate the problem.

“It’s not an easy fix,” said Greg Couch, engineering support branch manager for Highway District 12. “We need to put it back more on the front burner, but we’re still trying to complete cost estimates at this time.”

A two-vehicle accident that took place late Friday afternoon left two people injured. Police said they were wearing seat belts and that airbags deployed at the time of impact. Part of the study District 12 had been working centers on two recent fatal crashes at the spot.

Couch said that he and others at Highway District 12 in Pikeville were still working on a proposal to be sent to Frankfort, including at least one option that Couch said would be one of the more viable solutions to the number of wrecks that have occurred at the location.

That option would see what is called a frontage road that would run parallel to U.S. 23. This road would extend from Town Branch Road, through the area where the Bull Creek Trade Center now exists and then exit at the Marathon gas station just below it. Another aspect of this plan would be to put in a signal light at the gas station exit.

“That could be a good solution there, I think,” said Couch. “Then I think people would be more agreeable to approving a signal because you’re funneling everybody at one point.”

But for now, it is cost estimates on several options that Couch and his team are busy with. For instance, the cost of putting in one signal light will cost between $90,000 and $100,000.

Other options could be a barrier wall, restriping lanes or other traffic calming projects. But Couch said an assumed price tag must be attached before Frankfort sees the proposal.

“We need to spur this thing along, get people involved,” Couch continued. “One of the things we’re going to do toward that goal is to conduct a critical rate factor.”

A critical rate factor study would show what other intersections, similar to the one at Town Branch Road, show for crash and fatality data. Couch said he suspects the Town Branch intersection would show average or better than average results.

“The area at Town Branch is not a good place for a signal,” said Couch. “Part of that problem would be the hill where trucks and other traffic might have a problem slowing down for the light.”

Couch said if 20 engineers were to look at the data for the proposal there was a good chance that there would be 20 different suggestions.

“It’s just not an easy fix and there’s going to be a lot options on the table,” he said.