We are about to leave year 2005; in less than two weeks, we are to welcome another year full of surprises, good and new alike. Before we bid goodbye to this year, let us revisit events that happened this year, particularly the worst traffic incidents in 2005. This is not to scare you, but to remind you to drive safely so as not to repeat the same incidents. Here’s the list from Metro Networks, a Westwood One company and the largest traffic gathering and reporting operation in America: 7.Washington DC - Just before morning rush hour, on the day before Thanksgiving, a gasoline tanker caught fire and exploded while traveling southbound on Interstate-95 near the Capital Beltway in Maryland. The driver safely stopped the tanker and escaped before it exploded, but the busiest corridor on the East Coast was shut down for hours, the day before Thanksgiving, while that section of I-95 was dug up and repaved. Nine hours later the roadway was reopened to Holiday travelers.
1. New York City - The biggest traffic incident of 2005 is currently underway in New York City. The Transit Workers Union, which represents employees of the city's public transit system (Metropolitan Transportation Authority), is on strike. The strike has crippled the city. Special traffic contingency plans include restrictions such as closed roads and a four- passenger in-car minimum. Many New Yorkers were forced to walk to work in Manhattan over various East River bridges, and those that were able to drive into the borough were met with extensive delays spanning the entire island. In addition, high volume sparked massive delays throughout the entire New York Metro area, including sections of New Jersey and Long Island.
2. Los Angeles - In January, the La Conchita mudslide in Ventura County dumped more than 400,000 tons of mud on the California community, flattening vehicles and causing massive devastation and roadway backups. To add insult to injury, the incident attracted curious motorists to the area, further exacerbating a tough situation. A stretch of US 101 was shut down for two days as a result.
3. Chicago - In early spring, the Southbound Tri-State Tollway (Interstate-294), the heaviest traveled interstate that connects Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, was shut down at the Lincoln Oasis. An accident involving a semitrailer that split open and burst into flames caused traffic to be rerouted and created some of the most extensive delays the area has seen in years.
4.Philadelphia - This past summer, torrential rains caused a mudslide and major flooding of the Schuykill Expressway (Interstate-76), a major two-lane artery, which connects the western suburbs to Center City Philadelphia. The Expressway runs between the Schuykill River and a mountainside, along which there are no exits. The storm caused mud from the mountain and the rising waters from the river to converge on the roadway, trapping motorists. Water rescues had to be performed and when the waters subsided, it took a full week to completely clear the lanes and shoulder from the deposited mud.
5. Boston - "The Big Dig" roadway construction project, now in its 19th year, continued to cause significant delays throughout the Boston area in 2005. The construction lead to regular closures of current surface routes in the heart of the city, as well as ramps to and from Interstate-93.
6. Dallas - A charter bus on Interstate 45 exploded into flames on September 23rd, killing 23 elderly passengers being evacuated from Houston due to Hurricane Rita. The incident caused a 17-mile backup on the Interstate south of Dallas, trapping thousands of people fleeing the hurricane. It was the worst bus accident in Texas since 1952.
8. Atlanta - Overpasses proved to be a major problem throughout Atlanta in 2005. Several suicides and suicide attempts created long delays on many major area roadways. The city has since erected chain link fences on many of the overpasses.
9. Detroit - In September, a collision on I-275 near Five Mile Road forced one car across the median and into on-coming traffic. The car was then struck by a tanker carrying tar, which spilled onto the highway forcing it to be closed for four days.
10. Miami - October 4th through 5th, the Seven Mile Bridge linking the Lower and Middle Florida Keys was closed to traffic for more than 16 hours after a gasoline-laden tractor-trailer truck jackknifed and collided with an SUV. The heat from the flames was so intense that it melted the aluminum tanker top. The Seven Mile Bridge is the only link between Key West and mainland U.S.
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