A fatal wrong-way crash on Rochester’s Inner Loop early morning June 26 has renewed questions about the future of a road that city leaders are planning to transform.
Two people were killed when a vehicle traveling the wrong way on the highway collided with another car around 1:26 a.m., according to New York State Police.
While investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the crash, the collision has also renewed attention on Rochester’s Inner Loop itself — a roadway that has been the subject of years of debate over safety, neighborhood impacts and its role in the city.
The city plans to replace the northern segment of the expressway with a street grid, part of a long-term effort to reconnect neighborhoods that were divided when the highway was built.
The Inner Loop history
For years, city officials, planners and neighborhood advocates have debated the future of the Inner Loop, citing its effects on surrounding neighborhoods and questions about how the highway functions within the city.
Construction of the Inner Loop first began in 1952. The highway was intended to solve traffic issues and make commuting more efficient. Over the 13 years it took to construct, there were many homes, offices, parks and churches — mostly in Black communities — that were destroyed to accommodate the growing number of cars in the city.
Opinions over the Inner Loop have shifted over the years since its construction. In 2017, Rochester celebrated the removal of the Inner Loop’s eastern section. Then, in 2021, the Inner Loop’s northern section was ranked by the Congress for the New Urbanism as one of the worst highways in America.
Nearby neighbor reflects on the Rochester Inner Loop
Inez Burns lives in Rochester’s Marketview Heights neighborhood about half a mile north of the Inner Loop. Burns said the Inner Loop has not been adequately maintained and has felt unsafe for years.
“It never looks nice and there’s always trash. There are also many potholes,” Burns said. “There’s no reason why it should be there, it’s very unsafe.”
The City of Rochester plans to replace the northern segment of the Inner Loop expressway with a city street grid.
The goal of the project is to replace the remainder of the Inner Loop expressway with new safer city streets, green space, bike lanes, equitable redevelopment and reconnecting communities. Construction on the Inner Loop North is estimated to begin in 2028.
What happened in the Inner Loop fatal crash?
According to the New York State police a wrong-way driver was involved in the multi-car crash. The report determined that a 39-year-old female was driving a 2024 Honda CR-V, traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of the Inner Loop against the flow of traffic.
The Honda collided head-on with a 21-year-old male driving eastbound in a 2012 Ford Fusion with a 21-year-old male passenger. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Following the head-on collision, the Ford Fusion entered the path of Marvin T. Harmon, 29, who was driving a 2012 Jeep Liberty resulting in a secondary collision. Harmon was transported to Strong Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County. Get in touch at kweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Deadly crash renews focus on Rochester’s Inner Loop future | Exclusive
Reporting by Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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By Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
