The village of Saltillo once sat on what is now the south edge of Lincoln.
It was founded in 1882 and succumbed to flooding and proximity to Lincoln in the early 1900s.
But Saltillo Road survived, and it has become a deadly stretch. Six people have died in a 4¾-mile stretch of the road since 2005, said Lancaster County Engineer Pam Dingman.
"It's the most deadly road in Lancaster County by the number of fatalities that have occurred on it," she said.
Two of the drivers went off the road, another lost control of a vehicle, one died while trying to pass, another violated railroad crossing arms and a bicyclist died when he was hit from behind by a car.
The latest was 59-year-old Michele T. Ferretti of Crete, who died after her Ford Explorer went off of the road and rolled just west of 68th Street on Aug. 9.
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Saltillo, which is paved from Southwest 14th to South 120th streets, is a major east-west arterial road called the poor man's South Beltway by some in reference to a proposed four-lane divided freeway project that would connect Nebraska 2 at 120th Street with U.S. 77 southwest of Lincoln.
The concept for the beltway dates back to the 1960s, about the same time the interstate system was established. Corridors for west, south and east beltways were identified in 1971. In 1994, officials commissioned an exploratory study for funding of the east and south beltways that wasn't finished until 2002.
By 2007, public hearings were underway on the proposed South Beltway path before it was put on hold because of lack of funding. And in 2011, the Legislature passed the Build Nebraska Act, which allocates a portion of state sales tax to fund infrastructure. That allowed the Nebraska Department of Roads to restart the process.
Right now, environmental studies are underway, and whether the project is built will depend on availability of federal, state and local funds. Construction is set to begin in 2020.
Dingman said its completion should take the pressure off of Saltillo Road, which based on daily traffic counts is used by many to link U.S. 77 and 70th Street.
Average daily vehicle counts on Saltillo Road from 2014:
* 14th to 27th streets, 7,937
* 27th to 40th, 6,299
* 40th to 56th, 6,355
* 56th to 70th, 6,610
* 70th to 84th, 3,099
Dingman said car counts decline dramatically east of 84th. By the time Saltillo turns to gravel beyond 120th Street, the daily vehicle count is just 116.
She said the road meets required standards, but it is hilly and gets icy in winter.
Parts of Saltillo Road have steep ditches that accommodate run-off water, and Dingman said it's difficult to say whether they play a role in fatal accidents.
"Any time a motor vehicle leaves the road you have a dangerous condition. What we are really seeing is a lot more distracted drivers," she said.
Dingman urged drivers to focus and be more careful, especially when they encounter soft shoulders on rural roads.
She also asked people to take care at the start of the school year, when the number of fatal accidents tends to go up.
"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of all people involved in accidents on our county roads," Dingman said. "The Lancaster County Engineering Department continues to strive to make our roads as safe as possible. However, the department has run for a number of years with very limited resources and we are unable to improve all areas that need improvements."
The county has no plans to improve Saltillo Road, pending work on the beltway.
"When the South Beltway comes through, there will be extensive work in the corridor including intersections with Saltillo Road," Dingman said.
The latest maps from the Nebraska Department of Roads show a roundabout near 27th Street and Saltillo and a major interchange at 68th Street.
