Safety Upgrades Proposed for Highway 97 and Highway 12

Do you drive Highway 97 in the lower Yakima Valley? If so you drive one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the state of Washington. Lawmakers in Olympia hope to take action to make Highway 12 and Highway 97 safer.

HIGHWAY 97 BETWEEN UNION GAP AND TOPPENISH

Many people are injured or killed while driving or walking along Highway 97 in the lower Yakima valley which is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the state especially between Union Gap and Toppenish. State officials say that stretch of the road is considered dangerous because of high speeds, distracted and impaired driving, pedestrians on the road and roads that intersect with the route.

A FOCUS ON HIGHWAY 12

But lawmakers are also concerned about parts of Highway 12. A bill sponsored by Republican Representative Mark Klicker of Walla Walla would create new "accident risk zones" with tougher penalties and safety measures in high-crash areas.
Klicker says House Bill 2174 focuses on areas with repeated accidents, including parts of Highway 12 and Highway 395 in southeast Washington.

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DEADLY CRASHES PUSHING THE CHANGE

The push for changes comes after numerous deadly crashes on the roads including a recent head-on collision on Highway 12 west of Walla Walla that killed a family of three, including a baby. Under the bill, accident risk zones would be removed only after permanent safety improvements are completed. A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, January 21st, in Olympia.

MORE ROUDABOUTS ON THE WAY

Safety improvements have already been made to parts of Highway 97 in the lower Yakima valley with roundabouts placed in key areas along the route to help prevent cross highway crashes and more are on the way. The roundabouts are now at Jones Road and McDonald/Becker Road, and new construction is expected to start later this year for Lateral A and other intersections like Robbins, Buster, and Larue roads.