Potential efforts to make Laredo intersection safe after series of accidents

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - Two weeks ago, a young man recently lost his life after a car accident on Loop 20 and Havana Drive.

It’s the latest incident that has city officials looking for ways to prevent more vehicle fatalities from happening at the same location.

Loop 20 is a busy road that gets drivers from one end of Laredo to another but over the years, it has become a hot spot for some of the deadliest car accidents.

From motorcyclists crashing into a ditch to most recently a rollover that claimed the life of a 22-year-old.

With so many accidents happening back-to-back, District Six councilmember Dr. Tyler king believes now is the time to act.

“I asked for a long-term plan to address this, and with city and traffic and police there’s a two prone approach that you got to fix an issue, but you also have to fix the speeding as well,” said Dr. King.

According to Dr. King the plan is a two-phase approach.

“Create a concrete barrier to replace those flimsy poles that do little to nothing, from International to approximately Shiloh. On top of that, an unofficial plan from TxDOT at this time is to narrow the loop in that eastward-eastbound section to a two lane around that shortest curve,” said Dr. King.

It is the councilmember’s hope that these measures could help reduce the number of accidents in the area.

Now, as an added layer of protection, Investigator Joe Baeza with the Laredo Police Deparment said they have increased police presence following the recent accidents.

“I think what people do really need to know is that what they need to realize is that we augmented the enforcement of the area quite a bit,” said Baeza.

Baeza adds that the issue also requires the help of the community.

“They have to do their part, if everybody were to travel the posting speed limit its almost very hard to get into any kind of trouble,” said Baeza.

So the next time you drive through Loop 20, officials encourage you to remain alert and follow the speed limit so that you get home to your loved ones safe and sound.

According to TxDOT, the concrete barrier installation project will begin in 2024.

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