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[Roadgeekteen]

Just noticed that there is no general thread for either of the Dakotas. North Dakota has some nice roads, but I'm really surprised that they haven't boosted their speed limit to 80 yet.

[3467]

They have done some widening on 2 and 85 ing the oil fields. Also the Ports to Plains in Mid South is relevant. It includes Western North Dakota.

[edwaleni]

If you search the Central State board with the term "Williston" or "Bismarck", you will find various threads going back to 2013 talking about the various upgrades they have been doing.

[WestDakota]

Just noticed that there is no general thread for either of the Dakotas. North Dakota has some nice roads, but I'm really surprised that they haven't boosted their speed limit to 80 yet.

The legislature voted on it last year, but it did not pass.  I wouldn't be surprised if it came up again next year. Considering South Dakota and Montana are at 80, there will be push to do it.  Plus, those states have had at 80 for a few years, how do the fatality and speeding numbers compare to when it was 75?  That would be part of the argument.

[3467]

What are your 2 lane and 4 lane expressway speeds?

[Roadgeekteen]

What are your 2 lane and 4 lane expressway speeds?

I think 65 for 2 lane and 70 for 4 lane, with 75 on interstates.

[M86]

I remember reading that NDDOT said the cost were too high to reconstruct parts of the interstate/ramps/etc to handle 80 mph. Off the top of my head, I can't think anything that would require reconstruction to accommodate a higher speed. I mean, ND has a 3-stack flyover ramp in Fargo. They got rid of the I-190 one in Rapid City years ago.

SD did do a speed limit increase in a heartbeat, along with a gas tax increase (the same bill in the legislature). Funny how that works out.
 
80 is a tad to high for me, and I've noticed a lot of people in SD still doing 75.

I hate ND speed limits. Every single town, on a state/US highway, they will lower you from 65 to 45 to 25, and I don't want to go 25 through some of these towns. That's literally crawling.

[Roadgeekteen]

I remember reading that NDDOT said the cost were too high to reconstruct parts of the interstate/ramps/etc to handle 80 mph. Off the top of my head, I can't think anything that would require reconstruction to accommodate a higher speed. I mean, ND has a 3-stack flyover ramp in Fargo. They got rid of the I-190 one in Rapid City years ago.

SD did do a speed limit increase in a heartbeat, along with a gas tax increase (the same bill in the legislature). Funny how that works out.
 
80 is a tad to high for me, and I've noticed a lot of people in SD still doing 75.

I hate ND speed limits. Every single town, on a state/US highway, they will lower you from 65 to 45 to 25, and I don't want to go 25 through some of these towns. That's literally crawling.

80 isn't that high. Tons of people go 80 in much more densely populated Massachusetts.

[Revive 755]

^ Or in most of the other Midwest states that are only posted at 70.  Even some of the work zones around Chicago posted at 45 have 80+ mph traffic (when traffic is actually moving).

I haven't driven in North Dakota, but Iowa seems similar with the speed limit stepping down from 55 to an intermediate level (35 seems common), then down to 25 for many towns.  It's one thing if the road squeezes through a business district with on-street parking, but some of the 25 mph sections seem to drag on.

[M86]

Agreed, 80 isn't that high, it's just personal preference and habit, I guess.

I've driven in plenty of metros in the Midwest and the South, and always keep up with traffic. Not sure I've ever encountered all traffic going 80 in a dense metro area, maybe that's a regional thing? I was just in the Twin Cities and people were generally going 10 over the speed limit, which varied from 55 to 65.

And I cringe thinking about 80 through a 45 mph work zone area. That is how workers are killed.

South Dakota has some interesting signs that say 'Highway Workers, Give 'Em A Brake' with a construction worker image that are scattered about. in the winter season, they'll change to 'Snow Plows, Give 'Em A Brake' with an image of a snow plow. I'll have to try and get a pic of one of them sometime. They're pretty unique.

[skluth]

Don’t like driving any more than 80, and have to use the cruise control to keep it there. I’ll do it in rural areas where it’s legal like Kansas. I usually stay around 75, but I have hit 100 when I was younger in a couple sports cars because I wasn’t paying attention. (Fortunately, no tickets.) North Dakota is easily rural and flat enough for 80 mph speeds. I’m surprised that it’s only 75.

[M86]

Don’t like driving any more than 80, and have to use the cruise control to keep it there. I’ll do it in rural areas where it’s legal like Kansas. I usually stay around 75, but I have hit 100 when I was younger in a couple sports cars because I wasn’t paying attention. (Fortunately, no tickets.) North Dakota is easily rural and flat enough for 80 mph speeds. I’m surprised that it’s only 75.

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas? I didn't know that.
I know when South Dakota went to 80 on interstates that there was no tolerance. I heard stories of being pulled over for going a couple over. I'm sure that's more relaxed now.

[kphoger]

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas?

nope

[Roadgeekteen]

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas?

nope

The speed limit is 75 so I'm guessing you won't get pulled over at 80.

[kphoger]

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas?

nope

The speed limit is 75 so I'm guessing you won't get pulled over at 80.

...which doesn't make it legal.

[Roadgeekteen]

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas?

nope

The speed limit is 75 so I'm guessing you won't get pulled over at 80.

...which doesn't make it legal.

Well I guess it's technically illegal to go 56 on MA 128 but of course the de facto speed limit is higher. I don't know how traffic enforcement works in Kansas, will you be pulled over at 80?

[kphoger]

I don't know how traffic enforcement works in Kansas, will you be pulled over at 80?

Not the point.

[Roadgeekteen]

I don't know how traffic enforcement works in Kansas, will you be pulled over at 80?

Not the point.

What's the point?

[webny99]

What's the point?

"It's legal to do 80 in Kansas" is a false statement.

[kphoger]

What's the point?

The point is that it's not legal to do 80 in Kansas.

It isn't legal to go 78 mph on the Eisenhower in Chicago, but you won't get pulled over for it either.  It isn't legal to go 65 on two-lane rural highways in Illinois, but you won't get pulled over for it either.  It isn't legal to cross the street on the left half of the crosswalk in New York, but you won't get a ticket for it either.  It isn't legal to coast downhill with the transmission in neutral in New York, but you won't get a ticket for it either.  For that matter, it isn't legal to leave your trash can in front of your house in Wichita, but my neighbors do so without any hassle.

[Roadgeekteen]

What's the point?

"It's legal to do 80 in Kansas" is a false statement.

I guess you're right

[rte66man]

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas?

nope

I'm old enough to remember when it WAS legal to drive 80 on the Kansas Turnpike. **sigh**

[JREwing78]

I remember reading that NDDOT said the cost were too high to reconstruct parts of the interstate/ramps/etc to handle 80 mph. Off the top of my head, I can't think anything that would require reconstruction to accommodate a higher speed. I mean, ND has a 3-stack flyover ramp in Fargo. They got rid of the I-190 one in Rapid City years ago.

Advisory speeds posted for those specific areas would suffice. South Dakota was the first place I've seen advisory speeds on curves posted for 75 mph. I suspect NDDOT was fishing for a plausible-sounding response.

[skluth]

It's legal to do 80 in Kansas?

nope

I'm old enough to remember when it WAS legal to drive 80 on the Kansas Turnpike. **sigh**

That's probably what I remember. We took it on the way back to Wisconsin from California back in the 60's.

[M86]

Signage in North Dakota has taken a hit after Clearview was scrapped. This is in Jamestown:
https://goo.gl/maps/BjVEWhAtqAqiqGVa9
Maybe it's just me, but the style they are using for the city names is awful.
There's also a signage error that was placed after they installed signals at both ramps to US 281 & I-94.