Longmont has grown rapidly in recent years, bringing more traffic, more congestion, and unfortunately, more accidents. While this growing city offers a great quality of life, certain intersections pose serious risks to drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists every single day.
According to Longmont’s official crash reports, the city’s most dangerous intersections share a common feature: they’re located on state highways that cut through town. These high-speed roads meet local streets, creating hazardous conditions where serious accidents happen regularly. Understanding where these dangerous spots are located can help you drive more carefully and know your rights if you’re injured.
Longmont’s Growing Traffic Safety Challenge
Longmont is working toward Vision Zero goals, aiming to eliminate fatal and severe injury crashes by 2040. The city tracks crash data carefully and has identified clear patterns. State highways running through Longmont account for a disproportionate number of serious accidents, with certain intersections seeing crashes year after year.
The city’s crash dashboard shows that many accidents could be prevented with greater driver awareness and caution at these known high-risk locations. Whether you’re a longtime Longmont resident or new to the area, knowing which intersections demand extra attention could save your life.
The Most Dangerous Intersections in Longmont
1. Colorado Highway 66 and US Highway 287
This intersection consistently ranks as Longmont’s most dangerous. According to the city’s 2023 crash report, this location sees more serious accidents than any other intersection in Longmont. The combination of high-speed highway traffic from two directions creates extremely hazardous conditions.
Drivers often travel at highway speeds approaching this intersection, leaving little time to react to changing traffic signals or turning vehicles. The intersection’s size and complexity add to the danger, especially for drivers unfamiliar with the area.
2. Main Street and Colorado Highway 119 (Ken Pratt Boulevard)
This intersection handles over 70,000 vehicles daily, making it one of Longmont’s busiest spots. Between 2015 and 2019, this location recorded 290 crashes, according to city studies. The massive traffic volume combined with drivers trying to access shopping centers and businesses creates constant accident risk.
Left-turn crashes are particularly common here as drivers try to cross multiple lanes of fast-moving traffic. During rush hour, the intersection becomes even more dangerous as impatient drivers take risks to avoid waiting through multiple light cycles.
3. Hover Street and Colorado Highway 119
Fast-paced traffic on Highway 119 meets Hover Street at this dangerous intersection. Morning commuters rushing to work often speed through yellow lights, and the intersection’s design makes it difficult for drivers to judge safe gaps in traffic when turning.
Local residents have consistently identified this as one of Longmont’s sketchiest intersections. The combination of high speeds and heavy traffic volume creates conditions where even small mistakes can lead to serious crashes.
4. North 119th Street and East Ken Pratt Boulevard
This intersection presents unique challenges. Drivers traveling north or south on 119th Street must cross six lanes of traffic when going straight through the intersection. This complex design confuses many drivers and creates multiple opportunities for collisions.
The intersection’s width means pedestrians face long crossing distances, increasing their exposure to danger. Cyclists navigating this area face particular risks as drivers focus on vehicle traffic and may not notice bikes.
5. Francis Street and Mountain View Avenue
Located in a busy area of Longmont, this intersection sees frequent accidents involving both vehicles and pedestrians. The intersection serves residential neighborhoods, schools, and commercial areas, creating mixed traffic patterns throughout the day.
School zones nearby mean children are often present, adding to the importance of driver caution. Unfortunately, distracted drivers and those exceeding speed limits continue to cause crashes at this location.
6. US Highway 287 and Pike Road
The southern edge of Longmont sees serious accidents where Highway 287 meets Pike Road. This intersection has been the site of multiple major crashes, including fatal head-on collisions. The high speeds on Highway 287 mean that accidents here often result in severe injuries or death.
Drivers turning onto the highway from Pike Road must carefully judge the speed of approaching vehicles. Misjudgments lead to devastating T-bone crashes and head-on collisions.
7. Third Avenue and Ken Pratt Boulevard (Highway 119)
This intersection regularly sees crashes involving commercial vehicles, including semi-trucks. The presence of large trucks adds to the danger, as these vehicles require much longer stopping distances and create blind spots for other drivers.
The city has had to close this intersection multiple times due to serious crashes. Despite improvements, accidents continue to occur with concerning frequency.
Why State Highways Make Longmont Intersections Dangerous
Longmont’s most dangerous intersections share a critical feature: they involve state highways like US 287 and Colorado Highway 119. These roads were designed for high-speed travel between cities, not for navigating through urban areas.
When highways pass through town, they create dangerous situations. Drivers accustomed to highway speeds don’t always slow down appropriately for intersections. Meanwhile, local drivers trying to cross or turn onto these highways face fast-moving traffic that’s difficult to judge.
The state controls these highways, which can make safety improvements more complicated. Changes require coordination between city and state transportation officials, slowing down the implementation of needed upgrades.
Common Causes of Longmont Intersection Accidents
Several factors contribute to crashes at Longmont’s dangerous intersections. Speeding remains a leading cause, particularly on the state highways running through town. Drivers who don’t reduce speed for intersections have less time to react and cause more severe crashes.
Running red lights causes devastating side-impact collisions. These T-bone accidents often result in serious injuries because the sides of vehicles offer less protection than the front or rear. Distracted driving has become increasingly common, with drivers texting, adjusting GPS systems, or simply not paying attention.
Failure to yield the right of way leads to many crashes, especially left-turn accidents. Drivers trying to turn left across multiple lanes of traffic sometimes misjudge gaps or don’t see approaching vehicles. Poor weather conditions, including snow, ice, and heavy rain, make these already dangerous intersections even more hazardous.
Your Rights After a Longmont Intersection Accident
If you’re injured at one of these dangerous Longmont intersections, Colorado law gives you the right to seek compensation. You can recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage from the at-fault driver.
Determining fault is crucial in intersection accidents. Evidence like traffic camera footage, witness statements, and police reports help establish who violated traffic laws. Even if you share some responsibility, Colorado’s comparative negligence law allows you to recover compensation as long as you’re less than 50% at fault.
Steps to Protect Your Rights After a Crash
Your actions immediately following an intersection accident can significantly impact your ability to recover compensation. First, call 911 to report the accident and request medical assistance. Some injuries don’t show immediate symptoms, so getting checked by medical professionals is important even if you feel okay.
Document everything possible at the scene. Take photos of all vehicles involved, the intersection itself, traffic signals, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Get contact information from witnesses who saw the accident happen. Their statements can be crucial if the other driver disputes fault.
Don’t admit fault or apologize at the scene. In Colorado’s fault-based insurance system, whoever caused the accident pays for damages. Anything you say could be used against you later by insurance companies trying to reduce what they pay.
Seek medical attention promptly. Insurance companies look for gaps in medical treatment to argue injuries weren’t serious. Getting examined right away creates a clear medical record connecting your injuries to the accident.
Longmont’s Vision Zero Progress
Longmont has committed to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries through its Vision Zero initiative. The city regularly publishes crash reports identifying high-risk locations and tracking progress toward safety goals.
Recent reports show some progress, but dangerous intersections continue to cause injuries and deaths. The city is implementing improvements including better signage, improved lighting, intersection redesigns, and enhanced pedestrian crossings.
While these efforts are important, they take time to complete. Meanwhile, drivers need to exercise extra caution at known dangerous intersections.
When to Contact a Longmont Car Accident Lawyer
Not every intersection accident requires legal representation. Minor crashes with no injuries can often be resolved through insurance companies. However, you should consider contacting a lawyer if you suffered injuries requiring medical treatment, the other driver’s insurance denies your claim or offers an inadequate settlement, fault is disputed, or the accident involved a commercial vehicle like a semi-truck.
A Longmont car accident lawyer who understands these dangerous intersections knows how crashes typically occur at each location. They can investigate your accident, gather evidence proving fault, negotiate with insurance companies, and fight for full compensation.
Were you injured in an accident at one of Longmont’s dangerous intersections? The Ferrell Law Firm helps Longmont accident victims get the compensation they deserve. Our Longmont car accident lawyer serves clients throughout the area and knows these intersections well. Contact us today for a free consultation at (720) 687-2795. Visit our Longmont office to discuss your case. We handle cases throughout Longmont, Boulder, and all of Colorado. You pay nothing unless we win.