New ‘flex posts’ on Dual Highway section of Route 40 designed to promote traffic safety in Hagerstown

HAGERSTOWN, Md. ( DC News Now ) — City officials are working with Maryland highway engineers to get drivers to slow down.

Traffic safety has been a major concern on the section of Dual Highway, Route 40, that approaches downtown Hagerstown.

The section east of downtown has been exceptionally dangerous, according to residents.

Adelion Schleigh lives on the section of the road that approaches downtown from the east. In recent weeks, “flex posts” have been installed, forcing drivers to be cautious.

“People would just drive fast and would not slow down,” said Schleigh. “They would turn and almost hit people. Pretty dangerous.”

City engineer James Bender worked with highway officials on this pilot project to install the flex posts to promote driver safety.

“Our study shows we had here at this stretch of road one of the highest crash rates in the state,” said Bender.

Bender and the state are collecting data to see if drivers are being more careful with the flex posts in place.

“We want to see if they have been able to reduce vehicle speeds, to make that section of Dual Highway a little bit safer,” said Bender.

Schleigh sees the installation of the flex posts as a good sign.

“I’m glad to see them there because there’s a lot of people that walk up and down the street to go to the stores,” she said.

Two other jurisdictions in Maryland have had the flex posts installed, in Harford and Howard counties.

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