Traffic deaths double during Fix 50 construction in Sacramento
Traffic-related deaths in Sacramento’s Fix 50 work zone have more than doubled during the construction project, according to data from UC Berkeley’s interactive mapping system, which uses California Highway Patrol accident reports.
Construction worker Onias Rodriguez Avila died last Monday after a suspected drunk driver plowed into a work zone, throwing him off an overpass to his death. This was the second deadly crash in the Fix 50 work zone this month.
The Fix 50 project started in November 2020, spanning 14 miles of lanes between Interstate 5 and Watt Avenue. UC Berkeley’s data shows there were 23 deaths in the work zone from the start of the project until March of this year, covering a five-year-and-five-month period. This figure does not include the two most recent fatalities.
In comparison, during the same stretch of time before the Fix 50 project began, there were 11 deaths reported in the area. Based on these figures, deaths have more than doubled during Fix 50 construction.
Caltrans expects to wrap up the project by the end of September.
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