FRANKLIN CO., Va. – Rocky Mount town officials are working to improve emergency access to a problematic Franklin County road where limited access has contributed to multiple fatalities.
The Diamond Avenue community currently faces a unique challenge: the only way to get in or out of the community requires crossing railroad tracks, creating potential access issues for emergency vehicles and residents. Town leaders aim to extend Rocky Mount’s boundary and construct a connecting road to enhance community safety.
“When we did the boundary line adjustment, we talked to some people that live in that part of diamond and we talked to some people that live over in that part of diamond and they said look the biggest problem we have is that we’ve tried to get the county an exit,” Rocky Mount Mayor Holland Perdue said.
Residents have spent decades requesting that Franklin County address the issue, but no real action has been taken. 10 News reached out to county officials for a response, but have not heard back yet.
“We’ve had two preachers that have tried to get the tracks cleared. And finally, our prayers have been answered,” said John Edwards, a community member.
The current configuration leaves residents and emergency responders vulnerable to being completely cut off when trains block the crossing. In some instances, train breakdowns have isolated the community for hours.
“I think that throughout the county, there are a lot of roads that are that way. For the citizens that live in these one-way in, one-way communities, there is that concern,” Perdue said.
Even routine train passages, which typically take minutes to pass, can have devastating consequences. Edwards has first-hand experience with this. He lost a family member after an ambulance was blocked from reaching the neighborhood by a train.
“People have lost loved ones from the train being stopped on the tracks and I’m one of those ones that has lost a family member,” the resident said.
The project faces two immediate hurdles: the town must first proceed through circuit court to acquire the necessary land from Franklin County, then secure state funding approval before construction can begin on the connecting road.