Arkansas Speed Limits to Rise (finally)

[capt.ron]

I drove I-40 from Conway to the OK/AR line. It's 75 (trucks 70) from Exit 125 westward. Oklahoma has a hodgepodge of 75 mph / 70 mph on I-40 with lots of "no tolerance" signs below the speed limit.

[bugo]

Isn't part of I-49 in Louisiana posted at 75 MPH?

moto g stylus

[sprjus4]

Isn't part of I-49 in Louisiana posted at 75 MPH?

I-49 in Louisiana is posted at 75 mph for around 230 miles between the Arkansas border and Opelousas, about 20 miles north of Lafayette, excluding Shreveport and Alexandria. Before Arkansas just recently raised its speed limits to 75 mph, the speed limit abruptly dropped at the border with no reduction warning, simply "Speed Limit 70" signs coming into Arkansas.

I imagine once I-49 is complete between New Orleans and Lafayette, most of its rural segments will also be increased to 75 mph, to help make that routing more attractive.

[US71]

Isn't part of I-49 in Louisiana posted at 75 MPH?

Yes

[jeffandnicole]

I imagine once I-49 is complete between New Orleans and Lafayette, most of its rural segments will also be increased to 75 mph, to help make that routing more attractive.

More attractive compared to what?

[US 89]

I imagine once I-49 is complete between New Orleans and Lafayette, most of its rural segments will also be increased to 75 mph, to help make that routing more attractive.

More attractive compared to what?

I-10, I assume

[sprjus4]

I-10 is around 20 miles shorter between Lafayette and New Orleans, but goes across the 20 mile swamp bridge which is restricted to 60 mph / 55 mph trucks and frequently shuts down (including right now according to Google) and through Baton Rouge which is congested, and has slower 55 mph limit with a 35 mph curve in Downtown. The remaining rural areas are 70 mph.

The southern route will still be slightly slower when complete, but having a mostly consistent 75 mph speed limit plus bypassing the swamp bridge and Baton Rouge entirely might make it more attractive for New Orleans bound traffic.

[I-55]

Isn't part of I-49 in Louisiana posted at 75 MPH?

I-49 in Louisiana is posted at 75 mph for around 230 miles between the Arkansas border and Opelousas, about 20 miles north of Lafayette, excluding Shreveport and Alexandria. Before Arkansas just recently raised its speed limits to 75 mph, the speed limit abruptly dropped at the border with no reduction warning, simply "Speed Limit 70" signs coming into Arkansas.

I can think of multiple instances of state line speed limit drops with no advance warning

- US-30 drops from 70 to 60 entering Indiana from Ohio

- US-82 drops from 70 to 65 entering Mississippi from Alabama

- I-75 drops form 70 to 65 entering Tennessee from Kentucky. I remember when it was still 70 there, threw me off the first time I drove it after the change, but I completely agree with the premises for lowering the limit there.

- US-35 used to drop from 70 to 65 crossing the Silver Memorial Bridge into West Virginia, but after 3 or so years Ohio lowered the speed limit on the bridge approach (probably for sharp curves at the OH-735 interchange). I personally think Ohio never meant for that approach to be 70 but it became 70 when the speed limits were increased in 2013(?) and the sign that set the speed limit for 65 at the time was after the on ramp from OH-160 at the first Gallipolis exit, so when that sign got changed there were no signs between there and the river.

I imagine there will be no warning for I-55 going from 75 to 70 entering Missouri north of Blytheville.


100th post had to put a little extra effort into this one

[sprjus4]

- I-75 drops form 70 to 65 entering Tennessee from Kentucky. I remember when it was still 70 there, threw me off the first time I drove it after the change, but I completely agree with the premises for lowering the limit there.

It seems Tennessee just keeps slowly removing 70 mph zones from the eastern part of the state. I-81 southwest of Virginia, all of I-26, lost their 70 mph zones years ago, all now being 65 mph / 55 mph trucks.

[I-55]

- I-75 drops form 70 to 65 entering Tennessee from Kentucky. I remember when it was still 70 there, threw me off the first time I drove it after the change, but I completely agree with the premises for lowering the limit there.

It seems Tennessee just keeps slowly removing 70 mph zones from the eastern part of the state. I-81 southwest of Virginia, all of I-26, lost their 70 mph zones years ago, all now being 65 mph / 55 mph trucks.

Yet the Knoxville area saw significant speed increases this past year, which surprised me but I'll take it.

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2019/10/21/knoxville-interstates-get-faster-speed-limit-i-40/4055653002/

[sprjus4]

^

That I'll give them, and completely appropriate IMO.

I've driven through that section when it was still 55 mph, 0 compliance. Driving at 70 mph (15 mph over) was passed numerous times, only passed a few people.

It is also nice they eliminated some of the 65 / 55 mph areas and made them 70 mph. That should be done with all of I-81 and I-26 where it's 65 / 55.

[US71]

UPDATE:

I-49 between I-40 at Alma and Exit 60 (AR 256/AR 112) is now 75 mph, but drops to 65 mph around Fayetteville.

[capt.ron]

US 67 from north of Jacksonville northeastward is still at 70 mph. As soon as it goes up, I'll edit and update this post.
[edit]
Speed limit has been increased north of Jacksonville (75 mph). It is still 65 from Jacksonville to Sherwood, where it drops to 60.

[KamKam]

And Interstate 30 (At least between Texarkana and Arkadelphia) Is still 70 mph.

[Alex]

It is 75 MPH on I-40 between Little Rock and West Memphis now and even with the insane amount of truck traffic, it is possible to mostly stay around the speed limit. Not ideal, but there not as many slow semi's gumming up the works as I expected there to be.

If trucks are still limited then raising the car limit won't buy a lot unless there is little truck traffic to overtake.

For example, Little Rock to Memphis probably will not raise the average automobile speed by a large amount because it has such a large truck volume.

[bwana39]

None of the roads (Freeways included) in SWA have had any signed changes to date.  ASP says until the signs change there is no change.

The press release said I-49 would be changing and that parts of I-30 would be changing, but time will reveal all.

[sprjus4]

^ Here's the map.

Map of proposed 75 mph zones. Arkansas doesn't appear to be shy with this one - 75 mph will be posted on almost every rural freeway segment in the state outside urban areas.

[I-55]

With this I-65 and I-85 will be the only x5's to not have a 75 mph or higher limit somewhere on their route (and will remain that way for the forseeable future).

[US71]

None of the roads (Freeways included) in SWA have had any signed changes to date.  ASP says until the signs change there is no change.

The press release said I-49 would be changing and that parts of I-30 would be changing, but time will reveal all.

49 has changed south of Fayetteville meaning if no one is looking you can drive 85 (I was passed a number of times today)

[sprjus4]

With this I-65 and I-85 will be the only x5's to not have a 75 mph or higher limit somewhere on their route (and will remain that way for the forseeable future).

And for I-95 and I-75, it's only 75 mph in the northern desolate portions of Maine and Michigan respectively. The rest of their routes are 70 mph or lower.

If North Carolina had passed 75 mph back in 2013, potentially parts of I-95 and I-85 could've been raised. The same applies for Florida's more recent attempt and failure. I think at minimum I-10 on the Panhandle should be raised.

[kphoger]

With this I-65 and I-85 will be the only x5's to not have a 75 mph or higher limit somewhere on their route (and will remain that way for the forseeable future).

I guess I forgot that I-5 in Washington got some 75mph signs.  ??

[Ketchup99]

With this I-65 and I-85 will be the only x5's to not have a 75 mph or higher limit somewhere on their route (and will remain that way for the forseeable future).

Which is a shame, because there are parts of both 65 and 85 that could probably be bumped up (Alabama says hi)...

[I-55]

With this I-65 and I-85 will be the only x5's to not have a 75 mph or higher limit somewhere on their route (and will remain that way for the forseeable future).

I guess I forgot that I-5 in Washington got some 75mph signs.  ??

I assumed it went up just because there's 75 in the state, though I-5 seems like a natural contender for 75+ limits where it runs if it weren't for state laws.

Which is a shame, because there are parts of both 65 and 85 that could probably be bumped up (Alabama says hi)...

Definitely can see I-65 going up in Alabama. I honestly would've thought I-55 would go up in Mississippi before Arkansas, but it shows how much I know.

[vdeane]

I assumed it went up just because there's 75 in the state, though I-5 seems like a natural contender for 75+ limits where it runs if it weren't for state laws.

Last I heard, there isn't.  The legislature passed a law allowing 75 limits, but the DOT refuses to post any, citing Vision Zero.  Someone needs to correct the map on Wikipedia.
https://web.archive.org/web/20171013042408/https://wsdot.wa.gov/News/2016/05/i90nospeedincrease.htm

[roadman65]

I-40 is already posted but I -55 is not as well as I-555 as I drove them a few days ago.