What is the Most Dangerous Highway in Houston?
What is the most dangerous highway in Houston? Based on information from various safety groups and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), I-45 is the most dangerous highway in Houston. About 75 fatal accidents happen along it each year, which is more than any of the other busy highways in the city.
Other than the I-45, Houston has a few other highways, including:
- I-610
- I-10
- I-69
- Route 90
- Freeway 288
- Freeway 225
If you have lived in Houston for a while, then you probably already know how busy and problematic the I-610 can be. The highway encircles the heart of Houston, so motorists from all four corners use it daily. Whether you need to cross from Spring Valley Village to Pasadena or from Bellaire to Aldine, your GPS might take you onto the 610.
Why is the I-45 So Dangerous?
If the I-610 has so many locals using it each day, then why is the 45 the most dangerous highway, statistically, when considering motor vehicle accidents? The answer lies not what is in Houston, but what is on the far end of the highway. I-45 terminates in Galveston after running past Texas City, two prominent cities for the oil, gas, and shipping industries.
At any given hour, you can expect there to be massive commercial trucks to be running north and south on the 45. The trucks haul all sorts of cargo, from crude oil to retail products. So many trucks innately increase the risk of a truck accident, as evidenced by the sheer amount of fatal and nonfatal crashes that have on the I-45 each year.
Will the I-45 Get Safer?
TxDOT currently has a plan to improve the safety of I-45, which is part of the largest North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP). However, the NHHIP has been contested by Mayor Sylvester Turner and other legislative members as recently as the summer of 2021. The conflicts come from differing ideas about how to best increase the safety of the city’s residents, including how to improve the I-45. The disagreements will certainly delay the project, but for how long is difficult to predict.
If you need to file a car accident or truck accident claim in Houston, then you can contact Dunk Law Firm and our legal team to schedule a no-cost consultation.
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