Large trucks and tractor trailers use Interstate 70 which runs through Missouri and Illinois and is a central corridor for trucks traveling east or west. To ease traffic congestion on Interstate 70, the Missouri Department of Transportation submitted a proposal to add four truck-only lanes on the heavily traveled highway. The project’s aim is to improve safety on an interstate traveled by nearly 10,000 trucks each day.
The transportation department discussed the design – which would separate cars and trucks by adding four center lanes for semis – at a public hearing in Columbia, Mo. last night.
According to the Columbia Missourian, Kenny Voss, the MoDOT project manager for the design, noted at the hearing, that 27 percent of accidents involve big rigs and 38 percent of those crashes lead to fatalities.
The design designates two eastbound center lanes and two westbound center lanes for tractor trailers separated by a 30 foot-wide grass barrier. Trucks would exit ramps leading into the car lanes and would have about 1,500 feet to get to the highway exit. On exits with high traffic in areas near St. Louis and Kansas City, trucks would have their own exit ramp.
It is estimated that the project would cost between $3.5 billion and $4 billion. The federal government has set aside $5 million for a study. The design has not yet been used anywhere in the country.
It is encouraging to see government officials looking for ways to reduce the number truck-car crashes on Missouri highways. It will be interesting to see how the design fares in the study. One thing is certain: Too many people are injured or killed every year in collisions with trucks.
If you or a loved one has been injured or a family member has been killed in a collision with a large truck, we urge you to contact Carey, Danis & Lowe. Our trucking-accident attorneys will find out whether the truck driver, trucking company, or trailer owner is responsible for the accident. If so, we will then seek compensation for future and other related medical expenses, future and other affected wages, pain and suffering, disability and/or other related damages.
An initial free consultation with Carey, Danis & Lowe attorneys for victims of trucking or truck related accidents is available. Appointments can take place at our office, at the hospital, or in the privacy of your home.
Contact Carey, Danis & Lowe Missouri/Illinois trucking-accident lawyers online or by calling 877-678-3400.
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