This is the deadliest route in Idaho. It’s a popular, well-traveled road north of Boise

Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman

EAGLE (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho Highway 55, a heavy traversed roadworthy betwixt Eagle and McCall northbound of Boise, has been identified arsenic nan deadliest way successful Idaho.

A caller study conducted by Texas-based ineligible squad The Barber Law Firm analyzed information from nan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find nan deadliest roadways successful each state. Data was pulled from nan NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System to find nan mean number of fatalities betwixt 2018 and 2022.

Idaho’s Highway 55 is simply a twisting roadworthy that spans astir 148 miles from wherever it starts successful eastbound Marsing astatine nan junction pinch U.S. 95 until it meets up pinch 95 again astatine New Meadows. It tracks on nan Payette River earlier plunging into nan Idaho Batholith, an extended scope of granite stone formations up to 97 cardinal years old.

“It’s rather a melodramatic landscape…and a hazard successful position of nan stableness of nan slopes and nan rocky outcrops,” Claudio Berti, authorities geologist and head of nan Idaho Geological Survey, previously told nan Idaho Statesman. “It’s a very, very challenging agelong of nan road.”

HOW DEADLY IS IDAHO 55?

Over nan 5 years measured, Idaho 55 saw an mean of 8.2 fatalities per year. That full astir doubles nan next-nearest deadly route, Idaho 75 done nan Sawtooth Valley, which averages 4.2 deaths per year.

Idaho 55 has already witnessed 1 decease this summertime aft a conveyance veered into nan Payette River. It was unclear really galore group were successful nan car, but 1 personification died, according to nan Boise County Sheriff’s Office.

Here are Idaho’s different deadliest roads and really galore deaths per twelvemonth it sees connected average:

1. Idaho Highway 55 (8.2) – Between Marsing and East Meadows on nan Payette River
2. Idaho Highway 75 (4.2) – Through nan Sawtooth Valley successful cardinal Idaho
3. Idaho Highway 21 (3.4) – Between Boise and Stanley on nan bound of nan Sawtooth Mountains
4. Idaho Highway 33 (2.8) – Eastern Idaho from U.S. Highway 20, done Rexburg and toward Wyoming Highway 22 and Teton Pass
5. Idaho Highway 16 (2.2) – A 44-mile authorities road successful eastbound Idaho betwixt Idaho 33 and Dubois

RECENT IMPROVEMENTS TO IDAHO 55

Idaho 55 has been scrutinized for galore years. The ancient rocky outcrops on nan road are susceptible to crumbling landslides, and moreover insignificant seismic activity tin nonstop ample boulders crashing onto nan roadway below.

A one-mile agelong of Idaho 55 adjacent Smiths Ferry is considered peculiarly deadly. Between 2001 and 2021, location were 154 crashes connected nan one-mile stretch, complete half of which resulted successful injuries and respective deaths, according to previous Statesman reporting.

Idaho Transportation Department officials telephone it nan “white-knuckle section” of nan highway.

The information of nan road adjacent Smiths Ferry precocious underwent a $62.8 cardinal building project to straighten curved portions, widen shoulders, and adhd guardrails to amended safety. Construction crews returned successful nan 2nd half of 2023 to stabilize a hillside that dropped astir 70,000 tons of stone and debris onto nan roadway.

The project’s original costs was $30.8 million, but concerns complete imaginable avalanches and different information issues ended up doubling nan value tag — and delaying completion.

“The adjustments we person made successful nan section admit really overmuch we put a premium connected safety,” ITD spokesperson Vince Tromboli previously told nan Statesman. “We want to make judge this roadworthy is arsenic safe arsenic possible. And truthful successful nan sanction of ensuring nan information of nan walking public, yeah, we had to walk much money.”