Interstate to pick up speed

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January 26, 2012

New 75 m.p.h. traffic ahead for county

By Janet Jacobs Corsicana Daily Sun The Corsicana Daily Sun Thu Jan 26, 2012, 11:26 PM CST

Corsicana — The state is increasing the speed limit on Interstate 45 as it runs through Navarro County to 75 miles per hour.

The 75-mph limit will extend from the Ellis-Navarro County line just south of Ennis to the Walker-Montgomery county line, just north of Conroe.

The decision was made at the Texas Transportation Commission meeting Thursday in Austin. In all, some 1,500 miles of interstate highway in 60 counties will be seeing the new 75-mph speed limit, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

Since September, the agency has been reviewing existing 70 mph speed limits across the state to determine where a 75 mph limit may be safely posted. Four Central Texas highways were the first to see higher speeds after the new law took effect. Thursday’s Commission action brings the number of miles now zoned at 75 mph as a result of House Bill (HB) 1353 to 1,618, according to a TxDOT press release.

Posting new speed limits on 1,500 miles of interstate highway will be a major step in implementing the new law, said Carol Rawson, TxDOT Traffic Operations Division director. Drivers must continue to travel at the old speed until new signs are installed, said Rawson.

“The new speed limit is not official until the signs go up,” she added.

Before the interstates were recommended for the higher speeds, engineering studies were done to make sure they’re safe. TxDOT studies of speeds on U.S. highways, state highways, farm-to-market and ranch-to-market roads are still under way.

The decision to allow the higher speed limits was made in the 2011 legislative session with House Bill 1353. Prior to HB 1353, Texas had 1,445 miles of 75 mph speed limits and 521 miles of 80 mph speed limits on certain state highways, mostly in West Texas. Texas now has almost 3,600 miles zoned at 75 mph or higher.

“Texas’ economic strength depends on the efficient and safe movement of people and goods,” Rawson explained. “These new speed limits increase highway efficiency while maintaining the safety of the transportation system.”

New 75 mph speed limits approved Thursday are located on:

• I-10—289 miles across El Paso, Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Bexar, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Gonzales, Fayette, Colorado, Austin, Jefferson and Orange counties

• I-20—423 miles across Crane, Ector, Midland, Martin, Howard, Mitchell, Nolan, Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Erath, Palo Pinto, Van Zandt, Smith, Gregg and Harrison counties

• I-27—109 miles across Lubbock, Hale, Swisher and Randall counties

• I-30—139 miles across Hunt, Hopkins, Franklin, Titus, Morris and Bowie counties

• I-35—106 miles across Webb, Medina, Atascosa, Bexar, Hill and Cooke counties

• I-37—130 miles across Nueces, San Patricio, Live Oak, Atascosa and Bexar counties

• I-40—166 miles across Deaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Donley and Wheeler counties

• I-44—11 miles across Wichita County

• I-45—143 miles across Walker, Madison, Leon, Freestone and Navarro counties

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “sound off” to this article? E-mail: Soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com

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