Temple residents concerned about condition of road used as detour route after deadly wreck involving oversized load

TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) - Highway 36 reopened on Monday, but a mess is now left behind after many drivers used Whitehall Road as a detour. The highway was closed for about two and a half days after a large load came off a trailer, pinning another car and killing two inside.

Things are usually pretty quiet at Jeannie Wiliford’s home, located at the corner of Whitehall Road and Highway 317.

”I like just not having to worry about a lot of stuff that goes on in town,” Wiliford said.

That hasn’t been the case lately due to heavy congestion on Whitehall, just behind her home.

”The traffic out here got really bad,” Wiliford said.

Wiliford was worried about distracted drivers not paying attention to school buses.

”My concern at that time was kids’ safety and the bus being able to go up and down that road with the traffic,” Wiliford said.

Another concern of hers was semis not having enough room on the narrow street.

”They could get too far over and slide off in a ditch, they could nip another vehicle or each other,” Wiliford said.

Highway 36 reopened on Monday, but Wiliford said potholes on Whitehall are deeper than they were before.

”The potholes are there, but the traffic didn’t help the matter and I think it became a bigger issue,” she said.

With Highway 36 reopening, the quietness has returned.

”As of last night we could really tell a big difference,” Wiliford said. “It was almost like music to your ears because you barely heard any more traffic.”