Most Dangerous Roads In Grand Rapids, Michigan

The greater Grand Rapids area has some relatively dangerous roads. Some of these locations are dangerous due to design issues. For example, the 100th Street Bridge caused a significant number of semi-truck collisions due to its low clearance until its replacement in 2020.

Many other locations see a high number of crashes due to visibility issues, traffic density and other factors. What are the most dangerous roads in the Kent County area?

Urban roads and highways top the list

One of the most dangerous locations in Grand Rapids is where people get off of 131 at Wealthy Street. The location sees a lot of panhandling and foot traffic, which are both serious crash risk factors. This off-ramp saw 134 collisions in 2021, making it one of the most dangerous intersections in the Grand Rapids region.

28^th Street is also a dangerous road. Multiple points on the relatively long street see an above-average number of crashes. The area near Trader Joe’s which is often flooded by traffic from people visiting Woodland Mall, sees a high number of crashes. Just a few blocks away, where 28^th Street intersects with Breton Road also sees a large number of crashes.

Alpine Avenue is essentially the 28^th Street of the West Side. It’s packed with shops and restaurants, which means there is a lot of traffic, especially near the highway ramps close to 3 Mile. Crashes occur frequently, especially near the entrance to the bigger retailers. The addition of a Chik-Fil-A has only helped add more congestion to an already busy road. Even when the road turns into M-37 as drivers head north, the major intersections see a concerning number of crashes.

Many of the exits for 131 through town see a higher-than-average number of collisions, although other highways also have hazards that lead to crashes. M-6 tends to see many winter weather collisions due to a large amount of commercial vehicles and many curves that become dangerous when snowy.

How can this information help Michiganders?

When people in the Grand Rapids area know what roads are the most dangerous, they can make a different route on their way to their destination. Keeping an eye out for other vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles can help people avoid contributing to Kent County’s collision statistics.

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