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posted by janrinok on Tuesday December 02 2014, @11:41AM   Printer-friendly
from the speeeeeed! dept.

AP reports that Montana lawmakers are drafting bills that would raise the daytime speed limit on Montana interstate highways from 75 to 80 and possibly as high as 85 mph. “I just think our roads are engineered well, and technology is such we can drive those roads safely,” says Art Wittich noting that Utah, Wyoming and Idaho have raised their speed limits above 75, and they haven't had any problems and drivers on German autobahns average about 84 mph. State Senator Scott Sales says he spent seven months working in the Bakken oil patch, driving back and forth to Bozeman regularly. “If I could drive 85 mph on the interstate, it would save an hour,” says Sales. “Eighty-five would be fine with me."

A few years ago Texas opened a 40 mile stretch on part of a toll road called the Pickle Parkway between Austin and San Antonio. The tolled bypass was supposed to help relieve the bottleneck around Austin but the highway was built so far to the east that practically nobody used it. In desperation, the state raised the toll road speed limit to 85 mph, the fastest in the nation. "The idea was that drivers could drop the top, drop the hammer, crank the music and fly right past Austin," says Wade Goodyn. "It's a beautiful, wide-open highway — but it's empty, and the builders are nearly bankrupt."

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Thexalon on Tuesday December 02 2014, @03:05PM

    by Thexalon (636) on Tuesday December 02 2014, @03:05PM (#121868)

    Not too many, but an example of one is I-93 in the White Mountains [youtube.com] of northern New Hampshire. You can't take that at 60 mph safely, and in the winter you often have to take it at closer to 35 mph.

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  • (Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday December 02 2014, @03:24PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Tuesday December 02 2014, @03:24PM (#121878) Journal

    True, but you would have the consolation of contemplating the exquisite Pemigewasset River drainage as you sail off the road.

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  • (Score: 2) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday December 02 2014, @09:29PM

    by nitehawk214 (1304) on Tuesday December 02 2014, @09:29PM (#122015)

    Ok fair enough, there is stretch of I-79 near my home where it curves through the hill on the way down to the Ohio river. However the posted speed limit here is 35 or 40 (though it is fun to whip around there in a sports car at 60).

    So I would assume this 85 mph limit is simply 85 mph only where it is safe to do so.

    And besides, with the all-too-straight roads around here, it is actually easier to go faster when the road is slightly curving, allowing drivers to see much further head in traffic. This lets people slow down earlier and reduce the "compression wave" effect of people having to slam on their breaks in traffic jams. The Germans figured this out in the 30's when building the Autobahn; Americans decided to just make the roads as straight and boring as possible. Though, i don't expect any place in Montana at all has traffic jams like the midwest cities do.

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    • (Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday December 03 2014, @12:40AM

      by frojack (1554) on Wednesday December 03 2014, @12:40AM (#122080) Journal

      Yeah we can all list a few locations where you have to slow down.
      Its pointless to list them here.

      But So what?
      All of these places already have the yellow advisory speed signs to warn you of the sharp curve, steep descents, turning traffic etc.
      That there are places such as these doesn't matter in the long run if the highway is properly signed.

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