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Oakboro Town Commissioner Mike Efird recently spoke about a report from the state’s Department of Transportation in regards to a roundabout and similar concerns.

Efird, speaking at a recent council meeting, said the council had heard a year or two ago about the possibility of the town getting a roundabout or a four-way stop in Big Lick, located north of the town limits. According to Efird, DOT has decided to do a four-way stop.

Efird said there had been some discussions regarding the installation of turn lanes for when more tractor-trailers will be using the road with the addition of the Charlotte Pipe and Foundry plant in Oakboro.

Efird said the town has had problems at some intersection as well. He said when people are parked right up to the curb next to some intersections, others trying to pull out into the road have problems being able to see.

Efird said the DOT representative said to him “it was up to the town to do whatever we wanted to do” regarding the problem in terms of which intersections to protect in an ordinance.

“If there is a car parked at the corner, you have to get your car eight feet out into the road to see what is going on,” Efird said.

“We were considering extending the no-parking areas at the intersections so you could see to get out,” he later added.

The town council did not make any decisions regarding the no parking areas.