US traffic deaths drop slightly in 2022 but still a ‘crisis’
April 20, 2023 GMTDETROIT (AP) — The number of people killed on U.S. roadways decreased slightly last year, but government officials said the 42,795 people who died is still a national crisis.
UK travelers face hours-long waits for ferries to France
April 1, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — British vacation travelers were stuck in hours-long lines as they tried to cross the English Channel on Saturday, with the Port of Dover in England blaming the delays on bad weather, heavy traffic and processing delays by French authorities.
Shooting snarls Interstate 5 traffic north of Los Angeles
March 28, 2023 GMTAn overnight shooting on northbound Interstate 5 in Tejon Pass shut down traffic between Los Angeles and the San Joaquin Valley until around sunrise Tuesday.
Northbound traffic backed up for miles in the high mountain pass.
Cargo ship runs aground in Suez Canal, traffic not impacted
March 5, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — A cargo vessel ran aground in the Suez Canal on Sunday, but traffic through the global waterway was not impacted, Egyptian authorities said.
The Liberia-flagged MSC Istanbul, heading to Portugal from Malaysia, got stuck in a two-lane part of the Suez Canal, said Adm.
Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South
March 4, 2023 GMTTrucker Tim Chelette has been making the same twice-daily drive for 16 years hauling empty whiskey barrels from Louisville, Kentucky, to the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee, yet his workday keeps getting longer due to time lost in Nashville traffic.
Traffic surges at Dubai airport but lags behind 2019 peak
February 21, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Traffic more than doubled last year at Dubai's airport, the world's busiest for international flights, but has yet to fully recover after the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures released Tuesday.
Evers budget to include proposals to curb reckless driving
February 10, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers' executive budget will include a host of proposals designed to reduce reckless driving in Wisconsin, including mandating ignition interlock devices for all drunken driving offenses, the governor's office announced Friday.
‘Dropicana’: Stretch of I-15 in Vegas closing for weekend
January 27, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — A key stretch of the main vehicle travel route between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City will be closed all weekend as part of a project to reshape a busy interchange serving the Las Vegas Strip.
Obnoxiously loud car? A traffic camera might be listening
January 21, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — After the relative quiet of the pandemic, New York City has come roaring back. Just listen: Jackhammers. Honking cars and trucks. Rumbling subway trains. Sirens. Shouting.
Over the years, there have been numerous efforts to quiet the cacophony.
Officials: 18-month project to snarl busiest Nevada highway
January 17, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — An 18-month-long construction project starting Tuesday will snarl traffic on Interstate 15 while crews raise and widen a key interchange serving the Las Vegas Strip, transportation officials said.
Elevated US traffic deaths slipped in 1st 9 months of 2022
January 9, 2023 GMTDETROIT (AP) — The number of traffic deaths on U.S. roadways fell slightly during the first nine months of 2022, but pedestrian and cyclist deaths continued to rise.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 31,785 people were killed in crashes from January through September last year, down 0.2% from the same period of 2021.
N. Carolina getting $110M for replacement bridge on US 64
January 3, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina government leaders said on Tuesday the state will receive $110 million in federal funds toward construction of a replacement bridge on U.S. Highway 64 that helps link eastern North Carolina to the Outer Banks.
Kentucky gov warns motorists to avoid section of snowy I-71
December 24, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear warned residents Saturday to avoid a snowy stretch of Interstate 71 after a series of accidents over two days caused significant traffic backups.
Freight train carrying iron ore derails in California
December 20, 2022 GMTVICTORVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A freight train carrying iron ore derailed Tuesday morning in Southern California, officials said.
About 23 cars of the Union Pacific train derailed around 8 a.m. in the city of Victorville, more than 65 miles (104.61 kilometers) northeast of downtown Los Angeles, according to the railroad.
US opens probe of Cruise robotaxi braking, clogging traffic
December 16, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are investigating reports that autonomous robotaxis run by General Motors' Cruise LLC can stop too quickly or unexpectedly quit moving, potentially stranding passengers.
Sheriff: DUI crash kills Georgia city’s longtime mayor, wife
December 11, 2022 GMTEMERSON, Ga. (AP) — A weekend highway crash killed the longtime mayor of a northwest Georgia city and the mayor’s wife, officials said Sunday.
Albert and Camilla Pallone died Saturday afternoon when a the driver of pickup truck lost control and swerved into oncoming traffic, smashing into the couple’s SUV, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
Climate activists stage protests at 2 German airports
December 8, 2022 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Climate activists briefly disrupted traffic at Munich airport in southern Germany Thursday, in a protest against the environmental impact of air travel.
The group Last Generation said some of its members glued themselves to the tarmac in Munich, while others entered the grounds of Berlin airport.
Tennessee roads plan mulls toll lanes, electric car fee hike
December 3, 2022 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is considering allowing express toll lanes on highways and tripling a fee for electric car owners as he targets his first big push after winning reelection — paying for tens of billions of dollars in roadway projects.
Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway
December 3, 2022 GMTHILO, Hawaii (AP) — Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano slides across a key highway and blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island.
Work to begin on Purchase Parkway to extend I-69
December 2, 2022 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Work will begin this month on upgrades to the Purchase Parkway in western Kentucky so that Interstate 69 can be extended from Mayfield to Fulton, officials said.
The $33.9 million project by Jim Smith Contracting of Grand Rivers will bring the Julian Carroll-Purchase Parkway up to interstate standards, Gov.
Sierra snow closes Tahoe schools, slows traffic; more coming
December 2, 2022 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — The first of back-to-back winter storms brought one foot (30 centimeters) of snow and an avalanche warning to the Sierra Nevada on Thursday, closing schools at Lake Tahoe and intermittently shutting down interstate traffic west of Reno.
Turnpike traffic tops estimates early in Thanksgiving week
November 30, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Traffic on the West Virginia Turnpike was heavier than expected during the first two days of the Thanksgiving travel week, state officials said.
More than 721,000 vehicles passed through Turnpike toll booths from Tuesday, Nov.
Researchers: AI in connected cars eased rush hour congestion
November 23, 2022 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As millions of people travel the interstates this Thanksgiving, many will encounter patches of traffic at a standstill for no apparent reason — no construction or accident. Researchers say the problem is you.
Carjacking, rolled semi-truck, shooting, halts I-5 traffic
November 19, 2022 GMTOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington State Patrol was involved in a shooting Friday after a man reportedly carjacked a semi-trailer, rolled it on Interstate 5 and then refused to exit the vehicle, closing the interstate in both directions in Olympia.
Temporary bridge planned over giant sinkhole on WVa road
November 17, 2022 GMTHINTON, W.Va. (AP) — Highway crews plan to build a temporary bridge over a giant sinkhole in southern West Virginia that has overtaken a road and threatened a nearby police department's building.
The 125-foot (38-meter) temporary bridge will be built starting Friday along state Route 20 in Hinton until permanent repairs can be made to a 90-year-old drainage structure that collapsed underneath it, the Department of Transportation said in a news release.
Bus falls into canal in Egypt’s Nile Delta, killing 21
November 12, 2022 GMTCAIRO (AP) — A bus fell into a canal in Egypt's Nile River Delta region Saturday killing at least 21 people, the country's Health Ministry said.
Dr. Sherif Makeen, a health ministry official, said three children were among the dead.
Researchers hope AI can alleviate interstate traffic jams
November 11, 2022 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Researchers at Vanderbilt University and other schools around the country are conducting an experiment in Nashville next week to try to decrease the number of stop-and-go traffic jams on a local interstate.
Belgian strike over cost of living hits traffic, companies
November 9, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — A nationwide strike over the cost of living increases caused by runaway inflation and massive energy bill hikes linked to the war in Ukraine snarled traffic through much of Belgium and affected businesses on Wednesday.
Cold storm brings rain, snow, wind to California
November 2, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — California's first significant storm of the season brought rain to the southern half of the state on Wednesday but winter-like conditions persisted in the Sierra Nevada after a night of traffic-snarling snowfall.
Troopers: Fuel tanker crash closes highway in South Florida
October 25, 2022 GMTDELRAY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A massive fire blocked traffic on a South Florida highway Tuesday afternoon after a fuel tanker semi-trailer and two cars were involved in a crash, officials said.
The crash occurred on northbound Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release.
11 more crash deaths are linked to automated-tech vehicles
October 18, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — Eleven people were killed in U.S. crashes involving vehicles that were using automated driving systems during a four-month period earlier this year, according to newly released government data, part of an alarming pattern of incidents linked to the technology.
Temporary WVa bridge installation starts next week
September 28, 2022 GMTPARSONS, W.Va. (AP) — Installation of a temporary replacement for a West Virginia bridge that was closed for safety reasons is expected to start next week, the state Department of Transportation said.
Insurers say California’s inaction threatens auto policies
September 26, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Top U.S. insurance companies and associations say California is risking a crisis in the nation’s largest automobile insurance market by refusing to approve any rate increases for more than two years, since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Florida highway covered in Coors Light beer after semi crash
September 21, 2022 GMTBROOKSVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida highway had to temporarily close Wednesday after a semitrailer carrying cases of Coors Light crashed and turned the roadway into a silver sea of beer cans.
The multi-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 6 a.m.
NTSB wants all new vehicles to check drivers for alcohol use
September 20, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that all new vehicles in the U.S. be equipped with blood alcohol monitoring systems that can stop an intoxicated person from driving.
US traffic deaths dip in Q2 but still high as pandemic eases
September 19, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — The number of people killed on U.S. roadways fell slightly from April through June, the first decline in two years as pandemic-era reckless driving appeared to ease. But the government says the number of deaths remains at a crisis level.
Damaged interstate bridge lane reopens in WVa after repairs
September 14, 2022 GMTPARKERSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — Workers have completed repairs to an interstate bridge in West Virginia and reopened it fully.
The Interstate 77 bridge over U.S. 50 near Parkersburg has been hit by heavy trucks several times in recent years.
European cab drivers protest practices, spread of Uber
September 8, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — Hundreds of cab drivers clogged traffic in Brussels in an international demonstration against the online ride company Uber, which is seen as unfairly distorting the market.
The drivers want Belgian and European Union authorities to curb the spread of Uber and say the service does not face the tax burdens and regulations that they do.
I-84 near Oregon, Idaho border back open after fire closures
September 2, 2022 GMTONTARIO, Ore. (AP) — A wildfire closed Interstate 84 in both directions Thursday afternoon near the Oregon and Idaho border, causing traffic backups for miles.
Oregon Department of Transportation officials said the interstate’s eastbound lanes were closed 6 miles east of Pendleton and into Ontario and the westbound lanes were closed between Ontario and Baker City.
Washout repair completed on I-10 in Southern California
August 29, 2022 GMTDESERT CENTER, Calif. (AP) — Highway workers have opened a second lane for travel on the main route from Los Angeles east to Phoenix after repairing damage caused by monsoonal flooding last week.
The second lane was restored on Interstate 10 near Desert Center, the California Department of Transportation announced on social media early Sunday.
Officials hope to reopen flood-damaged LA to Phoenix highway
August 27, 2022 GMTDESERT CENTER, Calif. (AP) — Officials hope to fully reopen the main highway from Los Angeles to Phoenix by early next week after a flash flood washed out part of the road through the Southern California desert.
Desert flooding damages Los Angeles to Phoenix highway
August 25, 2022 GMTDESERT CENTER, Calif. (AP) — The main highway from Los Angeles to Phoenix was damaged by a flash flood that washed out part of the road through the Southern California desert in the latest bout of punishing monsoonal thunderstorms that have hit the region this summer.
3 dead in crash on Highway 101 along Oregon Coast
August 15, 2022 GMTLINCOLN CITY, Ore. (AP) — Three people died in a crash involving two vehicles on the Oregon Coast, Oregon State Police troopers said.
The crash south of Lincoln City at Gleneden Beach happened Monday morning on Highway 101, police said.
Traffic accident in heavy rain in Pakistan leaves 13 dead
August 14, 2022 GMTMULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — A truck overturned and fell onto a passenger van in eastern Pakistan during heavy rain, killing 13 people and injuring five, officials said Sunday.
Riasat Ali, a senior administrative officer in Liaquat Pur in Punab province, said the incident took place late Saturday near the town of Feroza in heavy rain.
Traffic delays expected from Delaware Memorial Bridge work
August 7, 2022 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Drivers are being warned to expect traffic delays when a major construction project to completely rebuild the driving surface of the Delaware Memorial Bridge begins next month.
Police officer acquitted of false report on traffic stop
August 4, 2022 GMTSANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A former Southern California police officer has been acquitted of filing a false report about a traffic stop that said a driver had consented to a vehicle search that allegedly turned up drugs.
Groups approve $2.7B plan for new bridge, highway at Mobile
July 28, 2022 GMTMOBILE, Ala. (AP) — A $2.7 billion plan to ease traffic along the northern Gulf Coast in Alabama with the construction of a new Interstate 10 bridge and highway through Mobile has taken a step forward with approval from two key planning organizations.
Painful weekend of border delays from UK into France
July 24, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — Truck drivers and travelers seeking to cross from the U.K. into France faced major disruptions and long waiting times for a third day Sunday on the weekend that kicks off the summer holidays for many British families.
Pakistan death toll from monsoon rains, flooding reaches 304
July 23, 2022 GMTISLAMABAD (AP) — The death toll from more than five weeks of monsoon rains and flash flooding across Pakistan has reached 304, authorities said Saturday.
Since mid-June, the deluge has swollen rivers and damaged highways and bridges, disrupting traffic.
Death toll from weekslong rains in Pakistan rises to 282
July 21, 2022 GMTISLAMABAD (AP) — The death toll from five weeks of monsoon rains and flash floods jumped to at least 282 in Pakistan on Thursday, officials said, as the latest downpours continued lashing the impoverished country.
Trucker protest shuts down operations at California port
July 21, 2022 GMTOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Truckers protesting a state labor law have effectively shut down cargo operations at the Port of Oakland, it was announced Wednesday.
“The shutdown will further exacerbate the congestion of containers" and port officials are urging operations at shipping terminals to resume, a port statement said.
Westbound I-64 in West Virginia reopens after chemical spill
July 20, 2022 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — An interstate highway in West Virginia reopened Wednesday, a day after a tractor-trailer carrying a hazardous material overturned.
The truck rolled over early Tuesday on westbound Interstate 64 in Charleston.
Hungary: Anti-government protest blocks bridge over tax law
July 18, 2022 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) —
Anti-government demonstrators in Hungary blocked one of the capital's main thoroughfares during morning rush-hour traffic Monday, the latest in a series of protests against recent changes to the country's tax code that have carried on for nearly a week.
UN urges world action to cut 1.3 million road deaths in half
July 1, 2022 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly’s first high-level meeting on road safety called Friday for global action to cut the annual toll of nearly 1.3 million deaths and 50 million injuries in traffic crashes by at least half by decade's end.
Dutch PM condemns protests by farmers at minister’s home
June 29, 2022 GMTTHE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch prime minister on Wednesday condemned a violent protest by farmers outside the home of the country's agriculture minister amid increasingly bold demonstrations against the government's plans to rein in pollution.
Angry farmers block Dutch highways to protest pollution plan
June 27, 2022 GMTTHE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Farmers driving tractors blocked highways in the Netherlands on Monday and set small blazes outside at least two town halls in the latest protest sparked by a government pledge to rein in pollution emissions, a move that will hit the country's agriculture sector.
Price of planned Mobile River bridge swells to $2.7B
June 25, 2022 GMTMOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The latest plan for a new bridge and revamped Interstate 10 to ease traffic congestion on the Gulf Coast at Mobile shows the cost has swelled to $2.7 billion after years of disputes and delays, an increase of more than 25%.
Parts of I-16 in Georgia to close for clean-up from accident
June 23, 2022 GMTDRY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Starting at 8 p.m. on Thursday, one lane will be open for westbound traffic on Interstate 16 at mile marker 17, the site of a semi-truck accident.
Twiggs County Sheriff Darren Mitchum said the Wednesday night wreck happened when one semi-truck had a tire blow out, causing it to swerve into the lane of another semi-truck.
Thousands of Dutch farmers protest, fearing government cuts
June 22, 2022 GMTSTROE, Netherlands (AP) — Thousands of farmers gathered in the central Netherlands Wednesday to protest the Dutch government’s plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia, driving their tractors across the Netherlands and snarling traffic on major highways.
Work starts on long-term I-55 project near key Memphis span
June 17, 2022 GMTMEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Work has started in Tennessee on a $141 million project to build travel lanes and a roundabout intersection on the Interstate 55 interchange near a heavily traveled bridge connecting Memphis to Arkansas.