5) 153 deaths: I-45 in Harris County, Texas
A man was killed last month when he was speeding and missed a turn on I-45 near Fuqua. The car rolled over at least twice and ended in a ditch, FOX 26 reported.
State officials say the sheer amount of traffic on the road is the main problem.
"[I-45] is a major traffic corridor through the city of Houston. Whenever you have more cars, you're going to have more crashes," said Mark Cross, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation.
The Texas DOT has identified $3 million in safety improvements, such as signs and pavement markings, that it would like to see funded with federal stimulus money.
6) 148 deaths: I-15 in Clark County, Nevada
Two men died in a head-on collision in September, caused by one of the drivers going in the wrong direction on the freeway.
But this road is getting better: Fatalities fell from 39 in 2006 to 19 last year.
Kevin Honea, a trooper with the Nevada Department of Public Safety, attributed the decline in fatalities to increased police activity, which has been particularly focused on this stretch of I-10 going from California to Las Vegas.
“Biggest reason is an increased officer presence out there,” Honea said. “We’ve got a very aggressive group of guys out there.... People see our officers, and they know they had better buckle up.”
Scott Magruder, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, said major projects to widen the highway and add an express lane are under way and due for completion next April. Less congestion should improve safety even more, he said, as drivers feel less of a need to weave between lanes.
The state is planning another widening of the road between Tropicana and State Road 160, which would cost up to $250 million. Magruder said funding from the proposed stimulus bill may help pay for that.
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