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AHOSKIE – Town officials here have approved the transformation of a busy intersection into an all-way stop.

Last month, members of the Ahoskie Town Council engaged in a discussion regarding excessive speeding along West Memorial Drive. After passing by ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, That particular street serves as an access point for ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital’s Emergency Room as well as parking lots for medical staff and for a medical office complex. After passing by the hospital property, that section of Memorial Drive also serves a residential area.

Traffic increases also increases there for those traveling to and from the Ahoskie Creek ballfields located at the dead end of West Memorial Drive.

“[Town] staff has put together a request for a four-way or all-way stop at the intersection of West Memorial Drive and Pembroke Avenue,” said Ahoskie Town Manager Leigh Etheridge at this past Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Town Council. “This request is due to citizen complaints regarding excessive speeding. This is a recommendation of both [town] management and the police chief to help mitigate the problem.”

Currently, the stop signs at that intersection are located on both sides of Pembroke Avenue.

“It will definitely help slow the speed on that part of Memorial Drive,” said Town Councilwoman Linda Blackburn.

Councilman Charles Freeman motioned for the approval of the all-way stop signs at that intersection. The motion passed without objection.

In a related matter, Ahoskie Town Council members, during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting, heard from two citizens who live on Pembroke Avenue who requested the installation of a stop sign at one of the intersections on that street between Main Street and Memorial Drive. They too complained of speeding vehicles along that stretch of Pembroke Ave.

Town Council did not take any immediate action on that request, but did seem interested in discussing that issue during an upcoming meeting.