Maryland Accident Lawyer Blog
Our Frederick personal injury lawyers field a lot of calls from potential clients who have been injured in auto accidents in Frederick. A large percentage of these accidents seem to occur at a handful of notorious roads and intersections in Frederick County. In this post, we will give our own list of the worst intersections and roads in Frederick County, Maryland. This list is based on both our own anecdotal information from client calls and data from the Maryland State Highway Administration.
In determining what should rank as the “worst” intersections and roads in Frederick, we are primarily looking at the frequency and severity of auto and pedestrian accidents that occur on that road or at that intersection. However, our list also takes into account traffic volume and congestion, which often goes hand-in-hand with the number of accidents.
Auto Accidents in Frederick County
Frederick County has been the fastest-growing county in Maryland for the last decade. In the 1990s, Frederick County was basically an isolated rural outpost that was not considered to be within the Baltimore-Washington corridor. The expansion of I-270 from the DC Beltway to I-70 and economic development in Gaithersburg and Rockville dramatically transformed Frederick.
Today southern Frederick County (and the city of Frederick itself) is considered a commuting area for people who work in Rockville or even DC. Major new developments in places like Urbana and New Market have brought new roads and lots more vehicle traffic. Our Frederick auto accident lawyers have seen the number of potential accident leads in Frederick County increase exponentially over the years.
Frederick’s Most Dangerous Roads & Intersections
Below is our list of the most hazardous roadways and major intersections in Frederick and Fredrick County.
- Old Annapolis Rd & MD-26: Old Annapolis Road and MD-26 (Liberty Road) in the Mt. Pleasant area is one of Frederick County’s most notorious intersections. The Frederick News-Post recently described this intersection as “one of the most dangerous intersections in the county, if not the state. This intersection hosts several accidents every week, sometimes even 2 or 3 in a single day. The main source of the problem is that the roads intersect at a sharp angle and oncoming traffic does not slow down in response to the blinking caution light. The State Highway Administration is currently working to address this issue by installing a full traffic signal at the intersection.
- 355: Md. 355 starts out as Wisconsin Avenue in DC, then turns into Rockville Pike as goes across Montgomery County. When it gets to Frederick County, Md. 355 is known as Frederick Road and later Urbana Pike. 355 is a blurred maze of shopping centers, restaurants, gas stations, and car dealerships, each with one of more direct entrances onto this busy roadway. When it’s clogged down with traffic, fender benders proliferate on 355. When traffic lets up the accidents get much more dangerous as oncoming traffic can get up to 50 mph.
- Buckeystown Pike & Md. 355: Buckeystown Pike is a major retail and commercial roadway lined with strip malls and countless other individual businesses with direct road access. It runs parallel to Md. 355 for several miles in the heart of Frederick’s newer retail district. Just south of I-70, however, Buckeystown Pike turns sharply east to suddenly intersect with Md. 355. This is the highest traffic volume intersection in the entire county, and it generates a steady stream of accidents. One big reason for the accidents is that the exit for 70 West is within 100 yards of the light, prompting last-minute merging.
355 & Buckeystown Pike
- Route 40 (the Golden Mile): The Golden Mile is a 1.5 mile stretch of dense retail and commercial development along Route 40 (Frederick Road) just west of Route 15 and downtown Frederick. This was Frederick’s first modern retail center outside of the city and it has lost some of its popularity (and a lot of its vehicle traffic) to the new retail shopping area along Md. 355 and Buckeystown Pike. Despite being past its prime, however, the Golden Mile is still a heavily traveled area with all the hazards of the newer retail areas. The recent edition of a Chipotle right before the entrance ramps to Route 15 will only add to traffic and the potential for auto accidents.
Frederick Personal Injury Lawyers
If you were involved in an accident and need a Frederick County personal injury attorney, contact Miller & Zois at 800-553-8082 or reach out to us online.
What is the most dangerous road in Frederick?
Md. 355 (Urbana Pike) is the most dangerous road for auto accidents in Frederick County. This road has a very high traffic volume which generates many accidents.
What is the most dangerous intersection in Frederick County?
The intersection of Old Annapolis Road & Md. 26 (Liberty Road) is the most hazardous intersection in Frederick County (and possibly the state). Several accidents occur here each week.