Local lawmakers to host conference on Floyd intersection

By Kate Hayden | khayden@charlescitypress.com

A information conference will be held Tuesday, July 26, in Floyd as community members look for more signatures in a petition to change the Floyd interchange on Highway 218/18, which community members say is dangerous and confusing to drivers.

Rep. Todd Prichard, Sen. Mary Jo Wilhelm and Rep. Josh Byrnes will host the discussion at 5 p.m. in the Floyd Community Center.

The Change.org petition will show Department of Transportation members the amount of support behind needed upgrades for the intersection, Prichard said.

“I want to take the petition to the commissions of the DOT, who set the priorities across the state,” Prichard said. “We want to get the Floyd interchange on their radar and put it in the pipeline for improvements.”

“I don’t believe the (state) commissioners were aware there is a Love’s truck stop going in. We’ve got a situation that’s already confusing for many drivers, with the ethanol plant, and now we’re just going to add that many more trucks — it’s just going to have to be addressed for safety reasons,” Prichard added.

Prichard hopes to deliver the petition, which had 2,444 supporters Thursday afternoon. Organizers’ goal of 2,500, to the DOT Commission a week before its Aug. 9 meeting.

Titled “Hwy. 218 intersection to Floyd by the 218 fuel express,” the petition will be available for attendees at the conference to sign in support. There is also a Facebook event page, “Floyd Interchange Update,” with links to the petition.

“The nice thing about this social media platform is it’s a good way to rally a lot of people,” Prichard said. “We want a large number of signatures so I can go to the commission and say, ‘This is an important issue to our community.’”

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