The Latest in a String of Major Collisions on Highway 70
On the evening of Friday, April 23, 2021, at approximately 6:48 p.m., a major injury accident occurred on Highway 70 north of Silva Avenue. At that time, a gray Dodge Ram and a white Ford pickup truck collided in the northbound lane. Accidents happen so frequently along this stretch of highway many are questioning Highway 70 safety.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports that one person was transported to Adventist Health and Rideout Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, including but not limited to a broken arm and lacerations.
Following the collision, the road was blocked off for about an hour so authorities could gather evidence and begin their investigation of the accident.
Other Recent Serious Accidents
Two people were killed on Highway 70, just north of Marysville, at the end of last month. Just a couple of weeks before that tragic event, an elderly woman lost her life in a car accident at the highway’s intersection with Grizzly Road. As if that weren’t enough, two others were killed on Highway 70 near Oroville in February.
Why is Highway 70 so Dangerous?
State Route 70 spans approximately 178.5 miles from close to the Nevada State Line west to the Feather River Canyon. Given its proximity to the river, it is sometimes referred to as the Feather River Highway.
The highway sees a lot of serious traffic accidents. So many, in fact, that the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) proposed a safety improvement project on an area of the highway near Marysville between the South Honcut Creek Bridge and Laurellen Road. The need for the project was based on accident analysis for the period between August 2010 and August 2013. That three-year period clocked 85 collisions, of which 32 involved injuries and 7 resulted in fatalities. Caltrans determined that the number of fatalities was more than three and a half times higher than the average statewide, thus qualifying that area of the highway for improvements.
Highway 70 Safety Improvement Project
Some of the proposed changes within the Highway 70 Safety Improvement Project include:
- Provide passing opportunities.
- Widen shoulders and pave them a minimum of 8 feet in each direction.
- Provide a 20-foot Clear Recovery Zone.
- Provide a continuous 14-foot two-way left-turn lane.
- Provide truck acceleration and deceleration lanes for agricultural vehicles.
- Provide a 6-foot unpaved shoulder for slower-moving agricultural vehicles and equipment.
- Increase the paved shoulder width to 14 feet at school bus stops for safe student loading and unloading.
- Install rumble strips on the shoulders.
- Install rumble strips on both sides of TWLTL or the centerline.
- Straighten horizontal curves and flatten vertical curves – both to improve sight distance.
- Widen and pave intersections with local roads to accommodate turning trucks.
- Reconstruct driveways.
- Replace or extend culverts as necessary.
- Place asphalt concrete overlay.
- Relocate utility poles.
The safety improvement project is slated for completion by November 2022.
Watch the YouTube video on the project, which was uploaded by Caltrans.
Marysville Personal Injury Lawyer
Hello, and thank you for reading our discussion of Highway 70 safety. My name is Ed Smith, and I have been a practicing personal injury lawyer in Marysville, California, for close to four decades. An unacceptable number of car crashes happen each day on the highways and roads of Northern California. Many of those result in serious injuries. Some, sadly, result in wrongful deaths. If you have been injured in an automobile accident that was caused by a negligent driver, the injury lawyers on my team will be happy to help. Call us for compassionate, free, and friendly advice at (800) 404-5400 or (530) 392-9400.
We have posted some of our past case results on the verdicts and case settlements page of our website. For additional information about our services, please feel free to look at some reviews from our prior clients:
Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/usa-road-america-straight-asphalt-2125138/
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