News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County moving forward with allowing off-road vehicles on three highways.
The County Commission has been discussing the situation for several months due to the increasing popularity of the recreational activity. County Executive Jimmy Johnson said the county commission approved three resolutions Thursday night that would allow the vehicles on Black House Mountain Road, State Highway 154, and State Highway 297.
“Hopefully they’ll all be good neighbors and go by the rules of the land that was passed last night by the county commission,” Johnson said. “And hopefully it will make things better down there as far as night riding and such. There’s rules for everything so hopefully, people will abide by it.”
Teh commission recently set regulations for the road in December, including a speed limit of 20 miles per hour. Johnson said he believes this is a good compromise for the residents in the area and those who use the road recreationally.
“But it actually is a safety issue because a lot of people will go back to the parking area and unload their vehicles back there,” Johnson said. “But then you have a lot that will actually unload two miles from the site and drive their ATVs back on the county road.”
Johnson said the commission’s approval officially allows these vehicles on the county’s portion of Blackhouse Mountain Road. As for the state highways, he said the commission’s approval was just the first step.
Johnson said the resolutions required county approval before legislators could take them before the state. He said legislators are set to present the resolutions to T-DOT and to the safety committee in the near future.
