Between 2016 and early October 2026, motorists traveling through Shelton, Connecticut, were involved in 9,318 vehicle crashes, with two major corridors accounting for more than 2,800 of those incidents alone.
Route 8 and Route 110 Record Highest Death Tolls
Bridgeport Avenue and Route 110 stand out as the most hazardous roadways in the city. Over the ten-year span analyzed by the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, Route 8 led all locations with 1,840 crashes, followed closely by 1,552 crashes on Bridgeport Avenue and 1,295 crashes across the entire run of Route 110.
The human cost of these figures over the decade includes 41 deaths resulting from 37 separate crashes. Only two roadways registered double-digit fatalities during this period. Route 8 accounted for 17 crashes resulting in 19 deaths, while Route 110 saw eight crashes lead to 10 deaths. Other locations across the city recorded no more than one or two fatal accidents.
Citywide crash totals have remained relatively stable despite significant local growth. Yearly figures hovered in a pre-pandemic plateau between 930 and 990 crashes, dropped 32% in 2020, and then climbed back up to 996 crashes last year, marking one of the highest totals in the decade.
State Roads Account for Most Shelton Crashes
Roughly 59% of Shelton’s crashes occurred on state roads—including Route 8, Bridgeport Avenue, and Route 110—while local roads accounted for 40%, with Huntington Street recording the highest number among municipal streets. Downtown development has intensified traffic congestion along the main artery of Howe Avenue, which has experienced more than 400 accidents over the past three years. Within that span, a single 1-mile stretch has accounted for half of those accidents.
City officials have turned to state resources to address these bottlenecks. President Sheila O’Malley, working alongside the police department’s traffic division, requested that the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments and the state Department of Transportation perform a road safety audit of Howe Avenue, from its intersection with Park Street to the intersection with Beard Street. The initiative was prompted by Mayor Mark Lauretti.
“Certainly, some improvements will be in order,” Lauretti previously stated.
O’Malley noted that before the audit begins, a committee headed by Lauretti will review relevant data and offer recommendations, including an examination of Bridgeport Avenue to mitigate worsening traffic conditions.
“There are a lot of traffic concerns because there are a lot of people living and working in Shelton,” O’Malley said, pointing out that the city maintains roughly 400 miles of roadways.
Mixed-Use Developments Increase Traffic on Howe Avenue
City officials attribute the rising congestion along Howe Avenue to a surge in mixed-use developments. Notable projects driving traffic increases include mixed-use plans at 113 and 125 Canal St., River Breeze Commons with its 68 units, the 100-unit Clock Tower Apartments on Petremont Lane near River Road, Riverview Park Royal at 113-123 Canal St., and Cedar Village at The Locks at 287 Canal St.
The state, with assistance from the Naugatuck Valley COG, typically complete safety audits in a timely fashion.
“The audit will identify short-, mid- and long-term improvements,” O’Malley said. “It is up to the city to act on them if they wish.”
