MoDOT Reviewing Highways For Possible 75 MPH Speed Limits

Missouri drivers should not expect speed limits to jump to 75 mph immediately when a new state law takes effect Aug. 28.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is still evaluating which eligible rural highway segments could safely accommodate the higher limit and said no changes will be made until that review is complete.

MoDOT hopes to finish the evaluation by the end of the year.

“There’s a balance to be struck here between efficient traffic movement and safety, so we’re taking careful consideration of any potential location, what the roadway is like there and how people use it,” MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger said in a press release. “Our mission at MoDOT is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system, so this evaluation helps us make sure any changes to the speed limit don’t come at the expense of a safe trip.”

The new law allows MoDOT to increase speed limits on eligible rural highways to 75 mph, but it does not automatically raise the limit when the law takes effect.

MoDOT retains authority to establish highway speed limits and is responsible for setting limits considered reasonably safe based on the characteristics and use of individual roadways.

Among the factors being considered are current traffic volumes, the amount of truck traffic, crash history, terrain and roadway design, including whether safety countermeasures are already in place.

The department is also looking at speed limits in neighboring states when evaluating eligible highways near Missouri’s borders.

Construction will be another consideration.

Interstate 70, for example, will not receive a higher speed limit while work continues on the Improve I-70 Program, the major rebuilding and expansion project underway across the state. MoDOT said it will reevaluate the interstate after the project is completed.

That means motorists could see different decisions made for different stretches of highway rather than a blanket increase to 75 mph across all eligible roads.

“We’re hoping to complete this review of the eligible locations by the end of the year and provide an update on the path forward,” Hassinger said.

Until then, existing posted speed limits remain in effect.

Hassinger also urged motorists to obey reduced and posted limits in construction areas as work continues in hundreds of highway work zones across Missouri.

“For now, we implore drivers to obey the posted speed limits, especially in our hundreds of work zones across the state,” he said.