HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The Department of Public Works will be installing “candlestick stanchions” in the middle lane of the area of Route 1 known as Dead Man’s Curve in the next couple of weeks to slow down the speed of traffic.
Last week, a four-car collision on Marine Corps Drive sent one person to the hospital with nonfatal injuries.
However, considering the high frequency of traffic collisions on Dead Man’s Curve, the Department of Public Works has “tried everything,” department Director Vincent Arriola said during the Islandwide Beautification Task Force hearing on Tuesday morning.
The curve is part of Marine Corps Drive between Adelup and the entrance to the village of Asan.
“From speed limit signs, from signs to slow down. … A while ago, we’ve even stationed a police car there just to bring the speeds down,” Arriola said before announcing a new effort will be implemented in an attempt to reduce the number of traffic crashes.
“What we’re going to do is we’re going to put traffic markers in the middle lane, … they’re called traffic handles, at least for now to slow down the traffic in that area, all throughout the Dead Man’s Curve area,” Arriola said.
Arriola also said he considered putting “concrete jersey barriers” in the middle lane, but was told by Guam Police Department Chief Stephen Ignacio it “might be a little too extreme.”
“We’ll start out with the candlestick stanchions, and we’ll see if that slows down traffic along with additional signage,” Arriola said, adding, “We’ve tried a number of things to slow down the traffic and the speed, so drivers beware. We’ll be out there installing those things within the next couple of weeks.”
Crashes
In the past year, several people have been hospitalized and some have died from traffic crashes on Dead Man’s Curve.
Before the four-car collision on Thursday, two men, Mark Suda Jr., 40, and Repingeni Santos, 45, died on Oct. 29, 2023, after a sedan collided with a dump truck. A third individual was hospitalized and was last known to be in critical condition, Post files state.
GPD, through an investigation, determined this was one of several of the 29 fatal crashes last year that were caused by “excessive speed.”
At 11:12 p.m. on July 16, 2023, the Guam Fire Department responded to a two-car collision on Dead Man’s Curve, which resulted in 5 of 8 occupants being hospitalized, Post files state.
At 9:44 a.m. on May 22, 2023, a three-car crash resulted in three people being hospitalized with nonfatal injuries, Post files state.
A white truck is one of four vehicles involved in an accident on Dead Man’s Curve on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, along Route 1 in Asan.
