What Are the Most Dangerous Intersections in New Orleans, LA?

New Orleans is Louisiana’s most populous municipality, with a population of 383,997 as of the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics. Although New Orleans isn’t in the top 50 largest cities in the United States, it is one of the world’s most congested urban areas. In 2022, INRIX statistics rank New Orleans as the 11th most congested American city and the 37th worldwide.

The heavy traffic concentration in the Big Easy means many local intersections are hazardous to all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Learn about the top three most dangerous intersections in New Orleans and how an attorney from Dudley DeBosier can help if you are involved in a car collision.

The Top Three Most Dangerous Intersections in New Orleans, LA

According to a pedestrian safety action plan compiled by GCR, Inc., the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), and the City of New Orleans, in 2014, 1,489 pedestrians lost their lives between 2008 and 2012 due to crashes.

The action plan included a comprehensive study of the city’s most dangerous intersections. The following represent the most deadly intersections in New Orleans:

1.    S Claiborne Ave & Gravier St

Although Gravier Street is a standard one-way street, one of its most infamous intersections is with South Claiborne Avenue, a part of US Highway 90 that forms one of the city’s primary thoroughfares.

Most of the intersection runs under Interstate 10, and although traffic lights are present, lighting and visibility are poor. Despite these facts, Google traffic information shows this intersection sees frequent and heavy traffic during weekdays, particularly between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The intersection’s primary danger comes from its specific configuration. The area features a single-lane street crossing with a split six-lane avenue—three on each side of the interstate underpass—regulated by traffic lights. Consequently, a car traveling down Gravier Street must cross heavy highway traffic twice to pass through the intersection, doubling the potential number of accident opportunities.

According to the GCR-DOTD safety action plan, four motor vehicle crashes occurred at this intersection during the five-year monitoring period, resulting in three deaths or severe injuries.

2.    Poydras St & Camp St

This intersection is located less than a mile from the Riverwalk and the Mississippi River in the heart of downtown New Orleans. The east-west axis of this intersection is Poydras Street, a split six-lane street, and Camp Street, a smaller but frequently used three-lane one-way street where traffic flows from south to north. Camp Street is a major thoroughfare in the New Orleans central business district.

The layout of this intersection is similar to S Claiborne Ave & Gravier St, featuring a one-way street crossing a split six-lane avenue with traffic lights. Although the visibility is higher, the GCR-DOTD safety action plan shows this intersection has one of the city’s highest motor vehicle crash rates, with 11 accidents and two injuries or fatalities recorded during the five-year study period.

3.    Iberville St & N Peters St

The Iberville Street and North Peters Street intersection is on the northeastern edge of New Orleans’s central business district, less than two blocks away from Woldenberg Park. The northeast-southwest axis is North Peters Street, a secondary two-lane street. Iberville Street is a narrower, single-lane, one-way street with traffic flowing northwest-southeast.

Although this intersection sees less traffic than the city’s primary thoroughfares, its crash statistics mirror those at Poydras St & Camp St, with 11 crashes and two injuries or deaths.

The primary dangers of the intersection include a lack of stop signs, traffic lights, and poor visibility on Iberville St when driving southwest down N Peters Street. This environment makes it challenging to anticipate incoming vehicles and can increase drivers’ risk of a collision.

Contact Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Review

If you or a loved one has been injured by another driver at these intersections or anywhere else in New Orleans, contact the skilled New Orleans car accident lawyers at Dudley DeBosier. Our qualified team of legal experts will assess the crash scene for you, collect facts and evidence, and help you understand your legal options.

Contact us today for a free consultation.

This content has been reviewed by Chad Lederman, Director of Legal Operations at our New Orleans office.

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