Turning onto Pear Tree Road can be an adventure. Drivers must use caution when pulling off Alabama Highway 22 onto the pockmarked dirt and clay street. Drive too fast and you could feel like you’re on a roller coaster.

King, a resident of Pear Tree Road, points to a number of pot holes where his street and the highway intersect. Currently, gravel fills many of them, but others lay untouched. Standing at the intersection, King points as a car turns onto his street.

Obviously a Pear Tree Road regular, the car avoids the pot holes with skill. It weaves around the holes moving to the left side of the street at one point to miss them.

King said he would love for the road to be paved, but would settle for a monthly scraping. &uot;I’d just be happy if you could drive on it,&uot; King said. &uot;All we’re asking for is to fill in the holes.&uot;

Pear Tree Road residents fill in the pot holes with gravel when necessary. Last week gravel was used to fill some holes deeper than a foot, according to King.

But King would like some government assistance with the road.

According to King, some Pear Tree Road residents have inquired about paving costs. They’ve received estimates ranging from $20,000 to $32,000.

King has also spoken before the Dallas County Commission, but added that he won’t go back. King added that Coosa Jones, county engineer, told him a number of prerequisites must be met before the county takes responsibility of a road.

Jones agreed and listed some of the requirements &045;&045; a road must be 20-feet wide and have grassing and drainage that conforms to Alabama Highway Department specifications.

Also, Jones noted that Pear Tree Road isn’t a county road, but instead is the responsibility of the developer.

A developer would have to construct a road to minimum standards in order for the county to take responsibility of it.

In addition, Jones must examine the road and make a recommendation to the commission.