Missouri’s Most Feared Road Has Earned Its Deadly Reputation

It's deadly now, but used to be even worse. The truth is that the most feared road in Missouri has very much earned the deadly reputation it's developed for decades.

I would bet my bottom dollar that if I asked any of my Missouri neighbors which road they dreaded making a trip on, this one would at least come up in the top 3 if not number one for everyone. A car dealership asked their customers in a survey what roads they feared the most and this Missouri route came up in the top 30.

It's none other than infamous Missouri Route 36. It's also known as the genius highway since it connects birthplaces and childhood homes of J.C. Penney, Mark Twain and others. Why is it so deadly? Here are recent headlines involving accidents on Route 36 in Missouri:

• Semi vs. vehicle crash on Route 36
• Two trucks and pedestrian involved in fatal Highway 36 crash
• Vehicle flipped over on highway 36, causes traffic jam
• Deadly accident on Hwy 36

I could go on and on. I remember back a couple decades ago, Route 36 in Missouri was just 2 lanes all the way from Hannibal to Cameron. I have lost count of how many near misses of people passing on blind corners when they shouldn't where I would have to swerve off onto the shoulder to avoid being hit head on. That doesn't even include the number of deer that bolt across Highway 36 at dawn and dusk. We used to refer to it as Bambi Boulevard for a good reason.

It's reasons like these that Route 36 in Missouri deserves the most feared road status. It has and continues to earn it sadly.