Highway 36 in Macon County is among three Mid-Missouri roads flagged by the Missouri Department of Transportation for high rates of wildlife-related crashes.
The designation comes from a statewide study released in February, which found that nearly one in five animal crashes over the past decade occurred in Mid-Missouri. Most involved deer.
MoDOT placed Highway 36 in Macon County on its high-priority list for safety improvements, alongside Route DD in Johnson County and Highway 17 in Pulaski County.
While specific countermeasures for Highway 36 have not yet been detailed, the agency’s broader approach includes targeted steps already identified in similar problem areas. In Pulaski County, for example, officials are focusing on a stretch near Waynesville where wildlife crashes make up about a quarter of incidents along a short segment of Highway 17.
There, MoDOT recommended lowering speed limits, adding warning signs, and installing fencing to keep animals away from the roadway. Similar strategies are expected to guide future work in Macon County.
The study highlights a consistent pattern across the region. Rural highways, long sightlines, and heavy deer populations continue to produce repeat crash zones—places where drivers tend to learn the risk the hard way.