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Accident-Prone Stretches of Highway

Started by webny99, April 02, 2019, 08:50:16 AM

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webny99

Do you know of any highways that seem to have a very high volume of accidents, and if so, what is the cause?

I don't know what it is recently, but the stretch of the Thruway just west of Syracuse (approximately this segment) has been very accident prone in the past couple of years. There was a bad accident here just this past weekend which messed up traffic flow on both sides. Just by my own very rough estimation, about 50% or half of all major Thruway accidents between I-290 (Buffalo) and I-690 (Syracuse) since 2017 -- a stretch of 130 miles -- have been right here on this segment. I seem to see one reported in Google Maps at least several times a month, in addition to being delayed by a westbound accident here twice last year - once in June? (IIRC) and once on Labor Day weekend. I'm not sure what causes this frequency of accidents in this area. It's a very busy stretch of road, and pretty intense near I-690, but so is most of the Thruway.

Other possible causes of high numbers of accidents could be drivers traveling at unsustainable speeds for the road design, complicated merges, suicide merges, imbalanced lane-to-traffic ratio at exits, frequency of left exits, etc.


Brandon

#1
I-80, Minooka (Exit 122) east to Maple/US-30 (Exit 137) in Illinois.

A very busy truck corridor with two-lanes per direction except across a bridge that is considered the worst for being deficient in the state.  Nary a day goes by without a crash of some kind (or two, or three).
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

PHLBOS

US 1 along Roosevelt Blvd. in Northeast Philly: 12-lane, dual-carriageway arterial boulevard with at-grade intersections with residential homes that abut the roadway along some stretches.  Many accidents typically involve pedestrians getting struck.

This road has had a reputation of being one of the most dangerous roads nationwide.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

kphoger

Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

tradephoric

Quote from: PHLBOS on April 02, 2019, 11:16:53 AM
US 1 along Roosevelt Blvd. in Northeast Philly: 12-lane, dual-carriageway arterial boulevard with at-grade intersections with residential homes that abut the roadway along some stretches.  Many accidents typically involve pedestrians getting struck.

This road has had a reputation of being one of the most dangerous roads nationwide.

Roosevelt Boulevard is plagued with a plethora of irregularly traffic signals that stop both directions of travel.   So even though the boulevard has 12 lanes of thru traffic, it's a slow go as drivers routinely get stopped at red lights.  In regards to pedestrians getting stuck in the medians, that's definitely be a problem.  It's impractical to get the pedestrians the full way across the boulevard as doing so would lead to prohibitively high cycle lengths. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBBs6EOCeCk

Paulinator66

I-55 through Springfield, IL.  There are 6 lanes north and south of town but, for some reason, it drops to 4 lanes through town as the ADT count increases.  I call it the Springfield Squeeze.  2 weeks ago there were 6 accidents in 4 days.  2 people lost their lives and 1 person was airlifted to a local hospital with life threatening injuries. 

Max Rockatansky

All of CA 99 has a reputation for crashes due to Tule Fog and heavy agriculural truck traffic.  Personally I never found CA 99 to be much worse than a typical busy Californian freeway corridor.  I think the bad rap comes from older segments that are substandard and fact that much of the freeway is rural. 

jeffandnicole

Quote from: tradephoric on April 02, 2019, 03:11:56 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on April 02, 2019, 11:16:53 AM
US 1 along Roosevelt Blvd. in Northeast Philly: 12-lane, dual-carriageway arterial boulevard with at-grade intersections with residential homes that abut the roadway along some stretches.  Many accidents typically involve pedestrians getting struck.

This road has had a reputation of being one of the most dangerous roads nationwide.

Roosevelt Boulevard is plagued with a plethora of irregularly traffic signals that stop both directions of travel.   So even though the boulevard has 12 lanes of thru traffic, it's a slow go as drivers routinely get stopped at red lights.  In regards to pedestrians getting stuck in the medians, that's definitely be a problem.  It's impractical to get the pedestrians the full way across the boulevard as doing so would lead to prohibitively high cycle lengths. 


It would be interesting to know how many ped accidents occur in-between intersections (especially when the pedestrian has already crossed an intersection and decided to jaywalk mid-block). 

Also, as Trade mentioned, it's nearly impossible to cross all 4 roadways on one light cycle.  Are peds getting hit trying to continue their journey across after cross-traffic has the green, or are the peds simply walking into the first roadway and getting hit before they are ever given a walk signal to begin with?

TheHighwayMan3561

US 12 between Delano and Wayzata, MN. Heading west from Wayzata a six-lane freeway becomes a super-2 bypass of Long Lake, and then a regular two-lane road west of that. This road might need 4-laning more than any other in the state.
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kphoger

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on April 02, 2019, 03:30:24 PM
US 12 between Delano and Wayzata, MN. Heading west from Wayzata a six-lane freeway becomes a super-2 bypass of Long Lake, and then a regular two-lane road west of that. This road might need 4-laning more than any other in the state.

I remember when it was turned into a super-2, which included the relocation of a major railroad and the bypassing of Long Lake among other things.  To be fair, a LOT of traffic gets off that six-lane freeway at Wayzata, so the super-2 portion isn't quite as clogged as your description might lead someone to believe.

I see on GSV that they've replaced the broken center stripe with a Jersey barrier.  Is that a permanent change?  I assume so, considering the solid yellow stripe next to it.  Man, out of a dozen times or so that I've driven that highway, I think there was only one time that oncoming traffic was clear enough to actually pass someone.  And I don't think I ever saw anyone else even attempt to pass someone down along there.  There might as well have been that Jersey barrier all along, really.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

TheHighwayMan3561

Yeah, the barrier is permanent. They installed that after a number of gruesome accidents.
self-certified as the dumbest person on this board for 5 years running

skluth

Quote from: Paulinator66 on April 02, 2019, 03:21:59 PM
I-55 through Springfield, IL.  There are 6 lanes north and south of town but, for some reason, it drops to 4 lanes through town as the ADT count increases.  I call it the Springfield Squeeze.  2 weeks ago there were 6 accidents in 4 days.  2 people lost their lives and 1 person was airlifted to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.

That was my least favorite stretch of highway when I would travel between Green Bay and St Louis. It really needs to be eight lanes with upgraded interchanges. Those consecutive full cloverleafs (three within two miles for those not familiar with the area) are insane.

Brandon

Quote from: skluth on April 02, 2019, 05:26:26 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on April 02, 2019, 03:21:59 PM
I-55 through Springfield, IL.  There are 6 lanes north and south of town but, for some reason, it drops to 4 lanes through town as the ADT count increases.  I call it the Springfield Squeeze.  2 weeks ago there were 6 accidents in 4 days.  2 people lost their lives and 1 person was airlifted to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.

That was my least favorite stretch of highway when I would travel between Green Bay and St Louis. It really needs to be eight lanes with upgraded interchanges. Those consecutive full cloverleafs (three within two miles for those not familiar with the area) are insane.

They're actually not all that bad, and are (center to center) 3-1/4 miles apart, being as they're exits 96, 98, and 100.  There's far worse up nearer Chicago.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Paulinator66

Quote from: skluth on April 02, 2019, 05:26:26 PM
That was my least favorite stretch of highway when I would travel between Green Bay and St Louis. It really needs to be eight lanes with upgraded interchanges. Those consecutive full cloverleafs (three within two miles for those not familiar with the area) are insane.
They have planned a complete tear out and redesign but, this being Illinois, there is no money to actually begin construction.
http://i55springfield.com/site/

Brandon

Quote from: Paulinator66 on April 03, 2019, 10:40:45 AM
Quote from: skluth on April 02, 2019, 05:26:26 PM
That was my least favorite stretch of highway when I would travel between Green Bay and St Louis. It really needs to be eight lanes with upgraded interchanges. Those consecutive full cloverleafs (three within two miles for those not familiar with the area) are insane.
They have planned a complete tear out and redesign but, this being Illinois, there is no money to actually begin construction.
http://i55springfield.com/site/

Yeah, I feel a bit sorry for you guys down there as IDOT is the only game in town.  At least the General Assembly is looking to transfer I-80 to ISTHA.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Skye

I-71 and I-75 within a mile of their junction in Cincinnati.  Going southbound, the two highways drop from four lanes each to two to merge.  About a mile south of their junction, trucks are required to use the right two lanes going uphill, but they aren't always able to make it over due to other cars passing them.  In addition, southbound I-71 makes a sharp turn while exiting the Lytle Tunnel, causing a lot of overturned trucks.

Northbound, three lanes turn into four just as the expressway gets on the lower deck of the double-decker Brent Spence Bridge.  On the north side of the bridge, the right two lanes exit to I-71 North, Second Street, and Fifth Street, while the right two lanes continue on I-75 north, and US 50 West.

sparker

Two near where i used to live out in the High Desert (SoCal):  CA 138 between CA 14 and I-15; narrow lanes, particularly in San Bernardino County, with a "washboard" profile (up & down through gullies, poor lines of sight and prone to flooding or at least slippery driving during wet weather).  Head-on's, sideswipes -- bad place to lose one's concentration.  The other has been previously discussed and damned: US 395 from Adelanto north to CA 58 at Kramer Jct.  Lots of truck traffic; short passing lanes on long steep hills (meaning slow trucks), and lots of impatient drivers looking to bypass L.A. metro. 

And -- two close to where I now reside.  CA 152 between CA 156 and US 101 (Gilroy):  HUGE truck presence, 2 lanes, plenty of driveway issues, lots of curves and one particularly nasty hill (but recently improved with a truck climbing lane), and an abrupt change of alignment (albeit signalized) just east of Gilroy.  Definitely needs 4-lane bypass; full freeway better yet.  Finally:  Vasco Road (ersatz CA 84 continuation) from Livermore over the east Diablo Hills to Brentwood.  Very "bipolar" highway; Alameda County section (southern end) starts out as a divided suburban 4/6 lane arterial but quickly shrinks to a 2-lane rural road; once in Contra Costa County, widens out to a 3-lane w/K-rail (alternating 2-lane sections, depending on uphill/downhill status).  Main way to get to Silicon Valley from Brentwood/Oakley/Antioch/Discovery Bay 'burbs (among the most cost-effective housing still in Bay Area), so handles tons of commute.  K-rail took care of most of the head-on's; but the stop-and-go peak commute traffic (SB mornings, NB evenings) volume invariably results in a shitload of "fender-benders".  IMO the 3 lanes would make a decent directional carriageway if twinned with another next door.  The two counties can't seem to get together to finish the last few miles of unimproved 2-lane facility, and Caltrans doesn't have any plans to assume maintenance/control of the road.  Probably status quo for at least the next 10 years.   :banghead:

Bickendan

I-5 Terwilliger Curves
And, SE Division Street between I-205 and 162nd Ave -- and it's not even a highway.

ftballfan

Quote from: Brandon on April 02, 2019, 10:38:14 AM
I-80, Minooka (Exit 122) east to Maple/US-30 (Exit 137) in Illinois.

A very busy truck corridor with two-lanes per direction except across a bridge that is considered the worst for being deficient in the state.  Nary a day goes by without a crash of some kind (or two, or three).
Throw in I-80 from US-30 to I-65 in Indiana

sparker

Quote from: Bickendan on May 16, 2019, 06:13:46 AM
I-5 Terwilliger Curves
And, SE Division Street between I-205 and 162nd Ave -- and it's not even a highway.

Did I read somewhere where Division was the subject of a "road diet"?  Capacity reduction out in that area would simply divert traffic to Stark or Powell -- not necessarily a good thing, particularly in regards to the latter!

Mark68

I-25 between I-225 and Arapahoe. Usually some kind of truck that catches on fire in the fast lane and burns the pavement. Or maybe it was just the one time.


But there are a lot of accidents thru there.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."~Yogi Berra

DevalDragon

Interstate 70 between Frederick and Hancock Maryland. I can't count the number of times I've encountered complete shutdowns there over the past 10 years.

Bickendan

Quote from: sparker on May 16, 2019, 04:44:35 PM
Quote from: Bickendan on May 16, 2019, 06:13:46 AM
I-5 Terwilliger Curves
And, SE Division Street between I-205 and 162nd Ave -- and it's not even a highway.

Did I read somewhere where Division was the subject of a "road diet"?  Capacity reduction out in that area would simply divert traffic to Stark or Powell -- not necessarily a good thing, particularly in regards to the latter!
Maybe inner Division, west of 82nd. The stretch between 60th and 80th used to be four narrow lanes, but is now two plus bike lanes and a center turn lane, and that one was warranted.
East of 82nd, the speed limit was dropped from 40 to 35 to 30, speed cameras were put up just east of 148th, and a bunch of signalized crosswalks were installed through out the stretch out to Gresham. As far as I know, no plans are in the works to reduce the lanes on outer Division, even with the upcoming BRT project that will replace TriMet Line 2.

skluth

Quote from: Brandon on April 02, 2019, 05:56:28 PM
Quote from: skluth on April 02, 2019, 05:26:26 PM
Quote from: Paulinator66 on April 02, 2019, 03:21:59 PM
I-55 through Springfield, IL.  There are 6 lanes north and south of town but, for some reason, it drops to 4 lanes through town as the ADT count increases.  I call it the Springfield Squeeze.  2 weeks ago there were 6 accidents in 4 days.  2 people lost their lives and 1 person was airlifted to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.

That was my least favorite stretch of highway when I would travel between Green Bay and St Louis. It really needs to be eight lanes with upgraded interchanges. Those consecutive full cloverleafs (three within two miles for those not familiar with the area) are insane.

They're actually not all that bad, and are (center to center) 3-1/4 miles apart, being as they're exits 96, 98, and 100.  There's far worse up nearer Chicago.

The exit numbers are rounded miles. The distance from center of interchange at I-55/IL 29 to I-55/IL 54 is just over 3.1 miles.

I agree there are far worse stretches near Chicago. That's why I would take US 51 north of Bloomington-Normal even before I-39 was built south of I-80. Even the old US 51 Illinois River crossing at Peru was better than dealing with the Tri-State.

planxtymcgillicuddy

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned I-20 from Pell City to Leeds, AL. Lots of uphills that are strenuous on big rigs, and the differences in speed leads to a lot of wrecks. But that pales in comparison to I-77 going through Fancy Gap, VA, particularly when it's foggy.
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