Fort Collins has plenty of daily commuter traffic, in addition to its fair share of tourists on the road. All of that heavy traffic means we’re at an increased risk for a crash. While the Fort Collins area may not see the kind of traffic that the Denver region has, there are certainly roads and intersections that have a reputation for being exceptionally dangerous.
People who know which roads are the most dangerous can plan their routes accordingly and potentially limit their personal risk of exposure to a major collision. What are two of the most dangerous places to drive in the Fort Collins area?
The intersection at College Avenue and Horsetooth Road
The most dangerous intersection in Fort Collins is also one of the busiest. Where College Avenue crosses Horsetooth Road, drivers have seriously elevated crash risks.
This busy intersection sees tens of thousands of travelers pass through every day, and previous crash statistics indicate that collisions occur more frequently than they should on average, given the density of traffic. Experts estimate that collisions at this one intersection caused more than a million dollars in damages between 2016 and 2018. Despite a recent multi-million dollar improvement effort to expand this intersection and make it safer, it is still home to many serious collisions.
The nearby intersection of College Avenue and Trilby Road is also one of the most dangerous intersections in Fort Collins. Other streets with dangerous intersections include Lemay Avenue, Harmony Road, Drake Road and Shields Roads.
Interstate 25
I-25 between Denver and Fort Collins is such a notorious freeway that some local journalists call the section between 84th and 104th the “crash corridor”. There are frequent collisions on I-25 throughout the year, including wrecks related to inattentive driving, construction, road rage, inclement weather in the winter and fatal motorcycle collisions in the summer. All too often, a combination of high speeds and heavy traffic result in tragedy for drivers and passengers traveling on I-25.
Older infrastructure, design that doesn’t reflect current traffic volumes and urban in-fill also contributes to making certain intersections or stretches of road more dangerous for drivers. Knowing the areas where you are at the greatest risk of getting into a car crash could help you choose a better route on your next trip across Fort Collins and when travelling south to Denver.