LOCKHART, Texas (AP) - A 40-mile stretch of a Central Texas toll road is slated to open Wednesday, and officials and residents will be watching to see how fast traffic goes - and whether the state's drivers can handle the extra speed.
The new stretch of Texas Highway 130 will allow drivers to bypass Austin and avoid an often-congested Interstate 35. Its 85 mph speed limit will be the highest in the United States.
While state officials say they're not immediately worried higher speeds will lead to more crashes, they are working to promote good driving habits, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported (
http://bit.ly/PjzJKY ). Officials have arranged the installation of 3,400 signs that tell drivers the left lane is for passing only - a message also displayed on electronic signs."We're going to have to teach Texans how to drive these safer speeds," Texas Transportation Commission member Bill Meadows told the newspaper.
The Texas Department of Transportation was required by state law to conduct a speed study before setting the higher speed limit. In a demonstration of the study done for the newspaper, two safety officials drove an already open 19-mile stretch of Texas 130 with a speed limit of 80 mph.
Speed zone engineer Darren McDaniel drove in a pickup truck. Traffic operations division director Carol Rawson sat in the passenger seat and noted McDaniel's speed. McDaniel tried to avoid looking at his speedometer and drove at a speed he found comfortable, as Rawson noted how fast he was going. Most of the time, he drove between 80 and 82 mph.
Rawson also noted road visibility and the amount of space on the highway shoulders.
The existing stretch of Texas 130 will likely retain an 80 mph speed limit, though that could be raised, both officials told the newspaper.
But whether the extra speed will cause more accidents remains to be seen. More than 3,000 people were killed on Texas roads last year, a higher fatality rate than the national average, the newspaper reported.
Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said raising the speed limit will inevitably lead some drivers to push the envelope.
"People do pay attention to the speed limit: They use it as a guideline and figure out how much faster they can go without getting a ticket," Lund said. "Gradually, you end up with the same number of people exceeding the speed limit that you had before. There's an assumption that the government is always conservative, so if 85 is the speed limit, then 90 and 95 must be safe, right?"
Jeff Gibeaux, a civil engineer in Lockhart who expects to take Texas 130, said he considers it a certainty that some drivers won't be satisfied at 85.
"I think people will routinely pass me going 100," Gibeaux said. "Regardless of the speed limit, there's always going to be people who want to go past it."
___
Information from: Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
http://www.star-telegram.com(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Texas Hwy to open at 85 mph
Related Stories
- More Texas News
- National News
- International News
- Railroad museum in El Paso needs new home
- High winds derail 47 BNSF cars in Texas Panhandle
- Woman slain in Central Texas, teen suspect caught
- Texas doctor convicted of patient sex assault
- Highway patrol: Texas man drowns in Red River
- Lifeguard at Houston-area pool drowns doing laps
- 2 paramedics, baby hurt in Houston ambulance wreck
- Dallas to spray some areas for West Nile virus
- Judge to rule on Fort Hood suspect's delay request
- 2 North Texas men charged with neglecting pony
- Sword stolen decades ago on way back to Brown U.
- Futures rising as Fed gathers in Washington
- Intel chief: NSA foiled dozens of terrorist plots
- Former Pa. teacher charged for classroom piercings
- Ed Koch's tombstone engraved with wrong birth date
- Price forecasts suggests tame inflation
- Audio experts testify in Zimmerman trial, again
- Va. site of Pocahontas rescue will be preserved
- Military plans would put women in most combat jobs
- House committee takes up tough immigration bill
- New form of protest in Turkey: standing silently
- Jordan's king endorses treaty with UK
- Lavrov: Iran ready to stop 20-percent enrichment
- Thailand admits losing $4.4bn from rice scheme
- Poland checking files on Nazi unit commander
- Fed meeting keeps markets in check
- Meteorologists meet to mull weird British weather
- Oil prices fall toward $97 before US Fed meeting
- World stock markets mixed ahead of US Fed meeting
- Communist rebels in Philippines abduct 5 soldiers
Automotive
Find valuable information about buying your next car, including price quotes and your latest automotive news.
We Know Why You're Awake
We Know Why You're Awake. We can help.
Wedding Central
The greatest Southeast Texas story ever told. Share your wedding and engagement news!
Lost and Found Pets
These are pets that have been lost or found in the KFDM News Channel 6 viewing area.
No Text Zone
Texting While Driving Kills Thousands of People Each Year. Many More are Seriously Injured. You Can Help Make Our Roads a NO TEXT ZONE
Texas Lottery
Texas Lottery
Community Calendar
Check out our Community Calendar!
Baby Talk
Baby Talk with Nicole Murray.
KFDM Channel 6 Top Stories
Business News
Uncertainty over US stimulus drags shares lower
TOKYO (AP) -- Jitters over a possible change in U.S. stimulus efforts by the Federal Reserve helped pull share prices mostly lower in Asian trading today.
Consumer News
BC-US--Dow Record-Three Personal Stories, 1st Ld-Writethru,1173
Dow Record: Three tales of ups, downs and changes
AP Photo FX102, FX103
Eds: With BC-US--Dow Record. Adds photos.
By SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- When the Dow first crossed 14,000, investors were overjoyed. ...
Entertainment News
"THE VOICE" FINAL PERFORMANCES
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Adam Levine doesn't have a singer left on "The Voice."
Get This
HOUSE OF CARDS
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- The Maryland State House is getting a promotion -- to the U.S.
Science/Tech News
IN THE NEWS: PRESIDENT OBAMA DEFENDS NSA SPY PROGRAMS
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Until they were revealed earlier this month, few people knew about the National Security Agency's spying programs.
