Traffic was moving right along at a nice clip on US Highway 8 in Chisago County Thursday and the sun was shining on clean, clear pavement. At first glance it was hard to imagine how this two-lane stretch of roadway was dubbed "The Highway of Death" by locals.
"You don't get that moniker unless it's earned, and his has been over the years," Chisago County Engineer Joe Triplett told KARE.
The highway has a long history of fatal collisions, which is one of the reasons why the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation launched a study of proposed safety improvements back in 2008.
The highway is not especially curvy or hilly. It's just not designed to carry as much traffic as it does.
Triplett says Highway 8 carries an average of 22,000 vehicles a day.