Texas DOT Names Austin Roadway Second Most Congested in the State
A report recently released by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) lists a main roadway less than an hour away from New Braunfels as the second most congested road in Texas. Drivers who travel I-35 between State Highway 71 and U.S. 290 in Travis County that runs through central Austin are most likely not surprised by this information provided by the Austin Business Journal.
TxDOT calculated that I-35 commuters have faced more than 950,795 total hours of delay per mile in 2014. Truck delays reached 116,251 hours per mile, making this section of roadway the worst in the state for commercial traffic. The high volume of traffic delays can lead to increased accidents on the road and has proven to result in high costs. The tallied congested cost totals $196.1 million annually.
When a trucking accident occurs in heavy congestion, it can take hours for roads to return to normal traffic flow. According to a report from KVUE ABC earlier this year, an accident involving a tractor-trailer kept I-35 closed for more than five hours.
Trucking protocols are in place to help prevent accidents and ensure driver safety, but the following can still lead to collisions:
- defective equipment;
- fatigued drivers;
- faulty commercial truck brakes; and
- poor road conditions.
Poor road conditions include environmental barriers such as wet or icy roads, but it also takes into account construction zones with barriers, which narrow roadways and slow traffic. The time it takes for a tractor-trailer to decrease speed is significantly higher than a regular motor vehicle on the road due to the weight it carries.
High traffic congestion may be predictable, but accidents are not. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle or trucking accident in Texas, contact a New Braunfels accident attorney to discuss your legal options today.
