More accidents happen on paved county roads
Staff writer
Marion County doesn’t salt treat its paved roads during winter, a practice that may boost the accident rate on routes where more people drive and speed limits are higher.
Indigo Rd. from US-50 to 160th Rd. has seen the highest number of accidents over the last two years.
Road and bridge superintendent Jesse Hamm said accidents might be more frequent in the winter, when roads are coated with snow or ice.
Indigo Rd. is also curvy near 130th Rd., Hamm said.
“There were a lot of slide-offs last winter,” Hamm said.
County road crews do sand intersections and curves on paved county roads, Hamm said.
County sheriff Rob Craft said paved roads are more heavily traveled and, therefore, will have a higher accident rate.
“All the paved roads are going to carry a heavier volume of traffic, so I’m going to assume all of them have high accidents,” Craft said.
Other roads with top accident rates for the county include:
190th Rd. from Marion city limits to Eagle Rd., also paved and well traveled, has had the second-highest number of accidents.
Sunflower Rd. from US-50 to Marion, which has seen the third-highest accident rate, is paved, hilly, and curvy. It is a well-traveled route from US-50 to Marion.
120th Rd. from K-15 to Jade Rd., the paved road leading from Indigo Rd. to Goessel, experienced the fourth-highest number of accidents.
140th Rd. from the west county line to Jade Rd. is a rock and dirt road. Hamm said he could not surmise why the route was fifth highest in accidents.
Sixth on the list is Remington Rd. north of US-56 to Pilsen. Hamm said that, too, is likely attributable to the number of cars traveling the road and the lack of salt in the winter.