Jemison changing speed limit on Highway 31

Published 11:45 am Wednesday, April 5, 2017

By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

Jemison City Council approved an ordinance on April 3 to change the speed limit on Highway 31 in downtown Jemison.

The amendment was adopted to make the original ordinance reflect recent changes to speed limits in the city, as well as to make a change to one section on Highway 31.

The 35 mile-per-hour zone that currently starts near McDonald’s will be moved further south and start near the cemetery at Jemison First Baptist Church. The 45 mile-per-hour zone will be moved further out to make the speed gradually step down as motorists enter town.

“A lot of citizens have been very concerned about the speeds in these areas that were a little too fast and we’ve reduced them for safety,” Mayor Eddie Reed said.

Police Chief Shane Fulmer said the decision was made in response to the city’s growth and resulting increase in traffic in the downtown area.

“We need to get them slowed down before they get into downtown,” Fulmer said.

Also during the meeting, Reed commended the police department for its response to recent criminal activity in Jemison.

“There were three frightening situations … and because of your department and what the department stands for, that buck stopped right here,” Reed said. “Criminals that have been looked for [all over] … were apprehended. I just wanted to tell the chief how proud we are of what the department did in those situations … We could have very easily lost a policeman in all three situations.”