With Utah's urban speed limit now 70 mph, I was thinking, does anyone think the speed limit on certain Phoenix area freeways could be raised to 70 MPH?
I personally think the following stretches of freeways can safely handle 70 mph:
- I-10 from SR 85 to 43rd Avenue
- I-10 from Baseline Road to Queen Creek Road
- I-17 north of Loop 101
- US 60 Superstition Freeway (all)
- SR 51 from Lincoln to Loop 101
- Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway
- Loop 101 Pima Freeway from I-17 to Pima Road
- Loop 202 SanTan Freeway
Also, when their widening projects are complete, these freeways I think can also handle 70 mph safely:
- Loop 101 Pima Freeway from Shea Blvd to Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway
- Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway from Loop 101 to US 60
As a side note, I also think the southernmost portions of I-17 and SR 51 that are currently set at 55 mph can at least be raised to 60 mph. SR 143 though I am not sure about due to its short length.
What does anyone here think?
I think most urban freeways in the US could support 70 mph, except maybe some of the expressways in the Northeast. Phoenix freeways, given their excellent quality, could easily support 70 or even 80 mph urban speed limits.
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Don't forget loop 303. When its last section is completed it could easily be 70.
I was going to say, traffic flows at 72-75 on most of those freeways during moderate traffic, so 75 would probably be an appropriate speed limit.
I-75 in Cincinnati could hold 60. Especially the section being rebuilt. All of I-275 could support 70 except maybe the 4 lane section between US 52 and Five Mile road. That can stay at 65.
The OH-129 freeway section could hold 70. I-75 between I-275 and I-675 could hold 70 too. Wouldn't say as much for I-71 though....
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 20, 2015, 01:49:08 AM
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Years ago, that stretch was 75 mph, before they widened it to the present three or four lanes in each direction.
Quote from: hm insulators on June 24, 2015, 07:28:09 PM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 20, 2015, 01:49:08 AM
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Years ago, that stretch was 75 mph, before they widened it to the present three or four lanes in each direction.
Yeah, I remember when it was just four lanes there... traffic was so terrible trying to get out of town for holidays! lol
It's silly to me that they would
reduce the speed limit after doing such major improvements.
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 25, 2015, 01:16:32 AM
Quote from: hm insulators on June 24, 2015, 07:28:09 PM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 20, 2015, 01:49:08 AM
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Years ago, that stretch was 75 mph, before they widened it to the present three or four lanes in each direction.
Yeah, I remember when it was just four lanes there... traffic was so terrible trying to get out of town for holidays! lol
It's silly to me that they would reduce the speed limit after doing such major improvements.
Were the improvements performed before or after the area became urban? Most states have lower urban speed limits, but if Arizona only lowered it after the rebuild, that is a little baffling. The limit should have dropped as the area got more urban, not after a rebuild.
Quote from: jakeroot on June 25, 2015, 01:29:12 AM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 25, 2015, 01:16:32 AM
Quote from: hm insulators on June 24, 2015, 07:28:09 PM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 20, 2015, 01:49:08 AM
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Years ago, that stretch was 75 mph, before they widened it to the present three or four lanes in each direction.
Yeah, I remember when it was just four lanes there... traffic was so terrible trying to get out of town for holidays! lol
It's silly to me that they would reduce the speed limit after doing such major improvements.
Were the improvements performed before or after the area became urban? Most states have lower urban speed limits, but if Arizona only lowered it after the rebuild, that is a little baffling. The limit should have dropped as the area got more urban, not after a rebuild.
Now that I think about it, I can't remember what the speed limit was in that area near the 101, but it was probably actually 65. :ded: For some reason I thought it was 75, but it makes more sense that it would have been 65 at the time.
I guess a better wording of what i'm trying to say is that I found it odd that they would not extend the 75 limit further south after the major improvements. But I guess the fact that the area further north was becoming more urban answers that question.
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 25, 2015, 01:56:47 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 25, 2015, 01:29:12 AM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 25, 2015, 01:16:32 AM
Quote from: hm insulators on June 24, 2015, 07:28:09 PM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 20, 2015, 01:49:08 AM
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Years ago, that stretch was 75 mph, before they widened it to the present three or four lanes in each direction.
Yeah, I remember when it was just four lanes there... traffic was so terrible trying to get out of town for holidays! lol
It's silly to me that they would reduce the speed limit after doing such major improvements.
Were the improvements performed before or after the area became urban? Most states have lower urban speed limits, but if Arizona only lowered it after the rebuild, that is a little baffling. The limit should have dropped as the area got more urban, not after a rebuild.
Now that I think about it, I can't remember what the speed limit was in that area near the 101, but it was probably actually 65. :ded: For some reason I thought it was 75, but it makes more sense that it would have been 65 at the time.
I guess a better wording of what i'm trying to say is that I found it odd that they would not extend the 75 limit further south after the major improvements. But I guess the fact that the area further north was becoming more urban answers that question.
The urban nature would speak more to the reduced speed limit than the road improvements. In an urban area, there will be more people jockeying around into position going back and forward to get in and out of exits then there would be in a rural area.
In fact, having three lanes in one direction would cause more conflicts than having only two lanes. If you pass from left lane to the next lane, you simply worry about the cars in the adjacent lane where there are two lanes. But where there are three lanes, you also have to make sure when you do that maneuver, that there isn't somebody in the right lane coming into the middle lane at the same time. So there are more potential conflicts, even though the freeway is wider.
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 25, 2015, 01:56:47 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on June 25, 2015, 01:29:12 AM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 25, 2015, 01:16:32 AM
Quote from: hm insulators on June 24, 2015, 07:28:09 PM
Quote from: pumpkineater2 on June 20, 2015, 01:49:08 AM
Most certainly all of the ones you listed could.
I would take it a step further and say that I-17 north of loop 101 could easily handle 75; it's just so flat and straight and smooth...
Years ago, that stretch was 75 mph, before they widened it to the present three or four lanes in each direction.
Yeah, I remember when it was just four lanes there... traffic was so terrible trying to get out of town for holidays! lol
It's silly to me that they would reduce the speed limit after doing such major improvements.
Were the improvements performed before or after the area became urban? Most states have lower urban speed limits, but if Arizona only lowered it after the rebuild, that is a little baffling. The limit should have dropped as the area got more urban, not after a rebuild.
Now that I think about it, I can't remember what the speed limit was in that area near the 101, but it was probably actually 65. :ded: For some reason I thought it was 75, but it makes more sense that it would have been 65 at the time.
I guess a better wording of what i'm trying to say is that I found it odd that they would not extend the 75 limit further south after the major improvements. But I guess the fact that the area further north was becoming more urban answers that question.
If memory serves me right, SB I-17 dropped to 65 at the Carefree Highway interchange, even before the reconstruction.