AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa Department of Transportation is creating six safety corridors along highways across the state.
"We want to take this concept that's new to the Iowa DOT, and see how it works here in Iowa. We did kind of want to sample different parts of the state, certainly," says Iowa DOT Assistant State Maintenance Engineer Benjamin Hucker.
He says the corridors will have special signs, wider pavement markings, and increased law enforcement coverage.
"All of the corridors are in rural areas, so we reached out to all of the county sheriffs in those areas and we've got them onboard--they're partnering with us. We've also reached out to the Iowa State Patrol--they're supportive and partnering with us as well," Hucker says.
The DOT says the six corridor areas that are part of the initial pilot program are in the top one percent statewide for all crashes and severe crashes.
Hucker says it also comes with a marked upturn in crashes statewide.
"In the 2010's or so we were kind of running level, I think even trending downward sometimes--traffic fatalities were heading in a downward direction, then 2020 hit. Things just spiked and it hasn't been the same since, and we're not quite sure why," he says.
The DOT says it's seen speeds and distraction behind the wheel rise, and only 40 percent of those who die on Iowa’s roads are wearing a seatbelt.
Hucker says if the safety corridor pilot program is successful, the DOT will consider putting them on more stretches of highway.
The six safety corridors are:
U.S. 20 from Lawton to Moville in Woodbury County
U.S. 6 from East of Council Bluffs to US 59 in Pottawattamie County
I-80 from County Road F-48 to Newton in Jasper County
Iowa 5 from Iowa 92 to the Monroe County line in Marion County
U.S. 218 from Mt. Pleasant to County Road J-20 (near Salem) in Henry County
Iowa 2 from Donnellson to U.S. 61 in Lee County