Ten Worst Traffic Incidents of the Year 2006
New York, NY - December 28, 2006 - Metro Networks, a Westwood One company and the largest traffic gathering and reporting operation in America, unveiled today the list of The Top Ten Worst Traffic Incidents of 2006. Compiled by Metro Networks traffic experts from across the country, the list covers incidents from 10 top U.S. markets.
NEW YORK: Tomahawk test missile ends up on Interstate highway SAN FRANCISCO: Meatpacking truck spills cow body parts across freeway HOUSTON: Truck containing frozen chickens splits open BOSTON: 12-ton concrete ceiling panel falls onto car DALLAS: Bridge damaged by rig carrying oil refinery equipment DETROIT: Two semis collide on Northbound I-75 CHICAGO: Summer long repairs on 4 major roads ATLANTA Two cars and a tractor collide backing up traffic for 10 miles LOS ANGELES: Crash causes S/B freeway to close for almost 13 hours WASHINGTON DC: Two tractor trailers collide on Northbound I-95 "Our list shows the incidents that have caused some of the biggest traffic jams this year. American's are already struggling with longer rush hours and more challenges to their daily commute. Metro Networks is here to help people navigate a worsening problem in their lives," said John Frawley, EVP of Operations for Metro's 70 traffic offices. Frawley has been a leading traffic expert for the past 20 years. He currently helps oversee Metro's traffic gathering infrastructure which is the largest in the world, including more than 70 local traffic operation centers, 1,800 traffic reporters, producers and broadcasters, over 100 aircraft and agreements with Departments of Transportation for ITS and 511 service deployment. THE TEN WORST TRAFFIC INCIDENTS OF 2006 New York City - In July a tractor-trailer hauling a Tomahawk test missile overturned on I-95 SB in the Bronx. The missile ended up on the Interstate. The highway was closed that morning while ATF officials and NYPD bomb crews investigated. Metro Network radio and TV helicopters were over the scene all morning as workers carefully removed the missile from the highway. No serious injuries resulted. There apparently was no triggering device on the missile. San Francisco - A meatpacking truck traveling along the NB101 in San Mateo got into a messy accident spilling cow body parts all across the freeway. Commuters experienced heavy delays as workers cleaned up the hundreds of strewn body parts. Houston - An accident on the ramp from 610 North loop to the US59 resulted in a truck falling off the ramp and breaking open. The truck contained frozen chickens which were thrown all over the freeway below. Boston - In July a 12-ton concrete ceiling panel from a "Big Dig" connector tunnel gave way, dropping onto a passing car. The tunnel, which connects the Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) to the Ted Williams Tunnel, had to be shut down, choking traffic between Boston's Metrowest and Logan International Airport. Thousands of commuters spilled into downtown Boston and South Boston in search of alternate routes in a confusing sea of work crews and detours. Dallas - A rig carrying oil refinery equipment on northbound Loop 12 in November smacked into an overhead bridge at the Highway 183 interchange by Texas Stadium. The driver of the massive truck had permission to use Loop 12 and was told that there would be enough clearance to get under the bridge. The wreck happened one day before a major bridge demolition along I-30. Unfortunately Highway 183 was the scheduled alternate route for drivers heading back and forth from Dallas to Tarrant County. Detroit - In early November two semis collided on Northbound I-75 in Monroe. They caught on fire and flaming debris was scattered clogging the entire freeway and involving another four semis and about six cars. The heat damage was severe and the highway was closed for a week to repair the surface. Chicago- The Summer of 2006 was one long traffic nightmare for commuters from the south suburbs of Chicago and Northwest Indiana. The Dan Ryan Expressway, Chicago Skyway and I-80/94 were all under construction at the exact same time leaving them no alternative but to sit in the long delays day in and day out. Atlanta- Two cars and a tractor trailer collided just before the start of morning rush hour killing two people. The interstate was closed for the entire rush hour backing up traffic almost 10 miles and clogging many alternate routes. Los Angeles - In March, on the S/B 710 at Washington, a big rig overturned, caught fire, and burnt to the ground. The entire S/B freeway was closed for almost 13 hours. As this is the East LA Interchange it affected every major freeway heading in and out of Downtown Los Angeles from before the morning rush through the evening rush that day. Washington DC - On a Friday morning in the spring, two tractor trailers collided on I-95 North in Massaponax, VA (just south of Fredericksburg). The trucks caught fire and damaged the roads so severely that they had to be repaved. The accident shut down I-95 North late into the night and caused major delays on I-95 South. ### About Westwood One: Westwood One provides over 150 news, sports, music, talk, entertainment programs, features, and live events including: The NFL and the Super Bowl; NCAA Football; NCAA Basketball and the Final Four; The NHL; The GRAMMY Awards; the Academy of Country Music Awards; CBS, CNN and NBC News; the Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly; Imus in the Morning; and more. Through its subsidiaries, Metro Networks/Shadow Broadcast Services, Westwood One provides local content to the radio and TV industries including news, sports, weather, traffic, video news services and other information. SmartRoute Systems manages traffic information centers for state and local departments of transportation, and markets traffic and travel content to wireless, Internet, in-vehicle navigation systems and voice portal customers. Westwood One serves more than 5,000 radio stations. Westwood One is managed by CBS Radio.
