Mississippi may raise speed limits to 75 on interstates

[Alex]

Mississippi lawmakers consider raising speed limit to 75mph

You may soon be zipping down Mississippi interstates are a higher rate of speed. The Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill to increase the speed limit from 70 to 75 miles per hour on certain roads. That bill now heads to the state senate.

Mississippi House approves 75 mph speeds

A bill halfway through the statehouse would increase car and truck speed limits on certain roadways in Mississippi.

House lawmakers voted 115-5 to advance a bill to the Senate that would make Mississippi only the second state east of the river that bears its name to permit speeds higher than 70 mph.

[Charles2]

Is this a good idea?  I-20 west of Meridian and I-59 southwest of there seem heavily traveled enough that the 70 mph speed limit is sufficient.  And my experiences on I-10 lead me to believe that the speed limit should be 65...not 70.

[lordsutch]

Is this a good idea?  I-20 west of Meridian and I-59 southwest of there seem heavily traveled enough that the 70 mph speed limit is sufficient.  And my experiences on I-10 lead me to believe that the speed limit should be 65...not 70.

Texas now has 75 limits on roads that draw a lot more traffic than I-20 and I-59 (I-10 between San Antonio and Houston, for example, is pretty busy - far busier than I-20 between Jackson and Meridian for the most part).  But I-20 and I-59 wouldn't be my main candidates for 75 anyway.

I-55 north of Canton to Batesville (at least, maybe even as far as Hernando) is fairly lightly traveled, as is I-55 south of Terry, and I doubt 75 would be a problem.  US 78/I-22 outside of the New Albany mess could also easily go to 75; even in New Albany the 60 zone historically was a lot longer than necessary.  The 50 mph work zone is even worse, starting several miles before the substandard portion in both directions.

As for I-10, it could probably go to 75 once you get past MS 609 to the east.  I'd want to see six lanes all the way to Slidell before putting 75 mph in place west of Canal Road, though.  In the middle 70 is appropriate since it's used by a lot of short-hop traffic between Gulfport and Biloxi.

[Ace10]

Most of I-49 in Louisiana is signed 75 mph. (The WLOX article mentioned Louisiana legislature were considering 75. I think the caveat in LA is that LA gives the DOTD authority to sign a speed limit higher than the statutory maximum if the engineering studies allow. I guess LA is now considering raising the actual statutory limit to 75).

Some sections of I-10 in MS are straight as an arrow and could easily be signed 75 or 80 if the traffic conditions allow. I agree that sections between Canal Rd (MM 31) and MS 609 (MM 50) should probably remain 70 given the amount of traffic and the high weaving that occurs in places such as at US 49 and I-110.

I can't say I'm surprised at the articles when they mention cops having concerns for the higher limit. Wasn't it Montana where they eliminated the "reasonable and prudent" speed law in favor of a statutory maximum, but there was no positive change in safety? I think people overall just go as fast as they feel safe/comfortable, and as long as no one goes too much faster or slower than the general flow of traffic, people can get wherever they need to safely. It always irks me when I see a cop in the median or shoulder and everyone starts braking - really interrupts things and probably makes things even LESS safe.

[bugo]

http://www.wlox.com/story/21073254/how-fast-is-too-fast-on-mississippi-interstates

Anything to make it faster to get across Mississippi is a good thing.

[agentsteel53]

maybe Mississippi can upgrade to 56K and the page would load faster...

[agentsteel53]

as long as no one goes too much faster or slower than the general flow of traffic

someday, in an ideal world, people will be pulled over for driving slowly.

but I don't see that happening in this reality.

[JREwing78]

Most of I-55 is built to sufficiently high standards to support a 75mph limit. I haven't traversed the other interstates, but I'd be surprised if a significant amount of interstate mileage couldn't handle those speeds.

I'm not sure what the minimum speed limit is (if any), but there's no reason to have one less than 55mph.

[1995hoo]

Most of I-55 is built to sufficiently high standards to support a 75mph limit. I haven't traversed the other interstates, but I'd be surprised if a significant amount of interstate mileage couldn't handle those speeds.

I'm not sure what the minimum speed limit is (if any), but there's no reason to have one less than 55mph.

You'd better hurry to clinch those other routes, J.R....I hear your funeral is on March 11....

[Ace10]

I'm not sure what the minimum speed limit is (if any), but there's no reason to have one less than 55mph.

I believe some parts of I-10 are posted with a minimum 40 speed limit.

From http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/63/003/0509.htm

SEC. 63-3-509. Minimum speed limits.

(1) No motor vehicle shall be driven at a speed less than thirty miles per hour on federal designated highways where no hazard exists. An exception to this requirement shall be recognized when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation, or when a vehicle or combination of vehicles is necessarily, or in compliance with law or police direction, proceeding at a reduced speed.

Police officers are hereby authorized to enforce this provision by directions to drivers. In the event of apparent wilful disobedience to this provision and refusal to comply with the direction of an officer in accordance herewith the continued slow operation by a driver shall be a misdemeanor.

(2) In the event a speed limit of seventy miles per hour is established on any portion of the Interstate Highway System or on four-laned U.S. designated highways as is provided in section 63-3-501, a minimum speed of forty miles per hour shall be established for those vehicles having a maximum speed restriction of seventy miles per hour. Notice of said minimum speed shall be posted on such roads.

SOURCES: Codes, 1942, Secs. 8176, 8178; Laws, 1938, ch. 200; 1948, ch. 328, Secs. 1, 3; 1962, ch. 524; 1966, ch. 571, Sec. 1; 1970, ch. 442, Sec. 1, eff from and after passage (approved April 1, 1970).

Emphasis mine.

[kphoger]

Most of I-55 is built to sufficiently high standards to support a 75mph limit. I haven't traversed the other interstates, but I'd be surprised if a significant amount of interstate mileage couldn't handle those speeds.

I'm not sure what the minimum speed limit is (if any), but there's no reason to have one less than 55mph.

The only thing minimum speeds are good for is weeding out severly incompetent trucks.  Studies have found they have virtually no effect on what vehicles use the Interstate, which is why some states have abandoned them.

[froggie]

I don't really see this going for the east-west routes.  For starters, Mississippi isn't Texas.  Second, they either drive like maniacs or like slowpokes (7 years of personal experience on this one).  Third, I-10 and I-20 are *MAJOR* trucking routes, especially I-10...you have to factor in truck acceleration/braking profiles into the engineering.  Fourth, as lordsutch can attest, MDOT has had ongoing pavement issues for decades along I-20 between Jackson and Meridian...a lot of it simply has to do with the underlying clay soil.

Best candidates for this would be I-55 outside of the McComb, Brookhaven, and Jackson areas, and I-55 south of Hattiesburg (but not through Picayune) and north of Laurel to I-20.  Could even put the Starkville bypass on US 82 on the list (but not east of US 45 South).

[Brandon]

Most of I-55 is built to sufficiently high standards to support a 75mph limit. I haven't traversed the other interstates, but I'd be surprised if a significant amount of interstate mileage couldn't handle those speeds.

I'm not sure what the minimum speed limit is (if any), but there's no reason to have one less than 55mph.

The only thing minimum speeds are good for is weeding out severly incompetent trucks.  Studies have found they have virtually no effect on what vehicles use the Interstate, which is why some states have abandoned them.

Some states do use them for enforcement.  Michigan has a 55 mph limit in its 70 mph zones, and vehicles below 55 mph do get pulled over.

However, I have noticed that Nebraska has a 75 mph limit with a well marked 40 mph minimum, so Mississippi doing the same thing would not be unprecedented.

[kphoger]

I don't really see this going for the east-west routes.  For starters, Mississippi isn't Texas.  Second, they either drive like maniacs or like slowpokes (7 years of personal experience on this one).  Third, I-10 and I-20 are *MAJOR* trucking routes, especially I-10...you have to factor in truck acceleration/braking profiles into the engineering.  Fourth, as lordsutch can attest, MDOT has had ongoing pavement issues for decades along I-20 between Jackson and Meridian...a lot of it simply has to do with the underlying clay soil.

I think the pavement issues is the only legitimate point here.  It's the only one (other than not being Texas) I haven't heard regarding Texas, and that state has 75 mph on plenty of highways.

The only thing minimum speeds are good for is weeding out severly incompetent trucks.  Studies have found they have virtually no effect on what vehicles use the Interstate, which is why some states have abandoned them.

Some states do use them for enforcement.  Michigan has a 55 mph limit in its 70 mph zones, and vehicles below 55 mph do get pulled over.

However, I have noticed that Nebraska has a 75 mph limit with a well marked 40 mph minimum, so Mississippi doing the same thing would not be unprecedented.

55 mph is a rather high minimum, and I'm surprised they would pull over any vehicles going any faster than 50 mph or so.  My point is that, under normal traffic and weather circumstances, there are hardly any vehicles out there going so slowly that a 40, 45, or even 50 mph minimum even means anything.

[Alex]

The only portion of Interstate 10 I can see being eligible for 75 MPH is the stretch between Exits 2 and 13. No ingress or egress movements in the westbound direction and only an eastbound weigh station on an otherwise exit less stretch. Plus this is the least trafficked stretch of I-10 in Mississippi (34,000 vpd in 2011).

[codyg1985]

The only portion of Interstate 10 I can see being eligible for 75 MPH is the stretch between Exits 2 and 13. No ingress or egress movements in the westbound direction and only an eastbound weigh station on an otherwise exit less stretch. Plus this is the least trafficked stretch of I-10 in Mississippi (34,000 vpd in 2011).

It also helps since that portion of I-10 is located within the NASA Stennis Space Center buffer zone for rocket engine testing, so you have plenty of trees and not much of anything else. 

[Alex]

The only portion of Interstate 10 I can see being eligible for 75 MPH is the stretch between Exits 2 and 13. No ingress or egress movements in the westbound direction and only an eastbound weigh station on an otherwise exit less stretch. Plus this is the least trafficked stretch of I-10 in Mississippi (34,000 vpd in 2011).

It also helps since that portion of I-10 is located within the NASA Stennis Space Center buffer zone for rocket engine testing, so you have plenty of trees and not much of anything else. 

Indeed... Except for a swath just west of the weigh station. Trees on both sides of the freeway and in the median appeared decimated last April. Was this caused by a weather event or was the section thinned out intentionally?

[froggie]

Probably the latter.  MDOT embarked on a "clearing program" even before I had left Stennis 5 years ago.  Their initial focus was on I-20 and especially I-59.

[lamsalfl]

I-59 is mostly a DESOLATE road especially at night.  Meanwhile Texas has no problems with 75's east of Houston and Dallas through Longview, Orange, etc. 

[codyg1985]

I-59 is mostly a DESOLATE road especially at night.  Meanwhile Texas has no problems with 75's east of Houston and Dallas through Longview, Orange, etc. 

Between Laurel and Hattiesburg it isn't as desolate, at least during the day. With that said, I don't see why it couldn't handle 75 since that's what most traffic is doing anyway.

[UptownRoadGeek]

I don't see why it couldn't handle 75 since that's what most traffic is doing anyway.

This! Traffic on I-55 and I-59, at least between I-10 and Jackson/Hattiesburg respectively, already flows at an average pace of 75mph. Hell, when you hit I-10 that pace ups to about 85mph unless there's congestion.

[rel4]

The bill (HB 376) died in the Senate committee when it was not voted upon by a set deadline  .  The legislature has adjourned for the year (or until a special session is called to deal with Medicaid reauthorization).

[golden eagle]

Much of I-55 through Mississippi, in my opinion, could be signed for 75 mph. Of course, minus the Jackson and Desoto County areas (and perhaps Batesville and McComb). I-20 between Jackson and the I-20/59 interchange near Meridian can go 75 as well, once the construction in Scott County is done.