RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Three-fifths of the miles on Virginia’s Interstate highways will have speed limits increased from 65 mph to 70 mph by year’s end, Gov. Bob McDonnell said Wednesday.
The 5 mph jump will apply to nearly 679 of the state’s 1,119 miles of interstates.
A 27-mile stretch of Interstate 295 near Petersburg and nearly 62 miles of Interstate 85 are already posted at 70 mph.
McDonnell said allowing motorists to hammer down a bit will “help Virginians arrive at their destinations quicker and safer and will speed the delivery of goods and services.”
Authority to raise the speed limit in stretches deemed safe by Virginia Department of Transportation engineering reviews came in two bills the General Assembly enacted last winter. The legislation passed comfortably despite opposition from insurance industry and highway safety groups, who said higher speeds make the highways less safe.
Virginia State Police officially supported the increase, but some government officials said the agency was persuaded to back the measure it had previously opposed after McDonnell took office. The officials spoke privately for fear of retribution from from the administration.
No stretch of road will have the speed limit jump on more of its miles than Interstate 81, which runs for 325 miles along Virginia’s western spine from near Martinsburg, W.Va., to Bristol. Eighty-four percent of that stretch – six separate stretches totaling 271.5 miles – will see the speed limit increase.
The longest single segment to be increased runs 119 miles on I-81 from Christiansburg to the Tennessee line. The second-longest is also on I-81, a 68.1-mile stretch from north of Roanoke to near Staunton.
The increases along I-81 account for 40 percent of the total Virginia highway miles where the speed limit will increase.
Interstate 64 will see the speed jump on four segments totaling 154 miles, including a scenic, mountainous run of about 57 miles from the West Virginia border to near Lexington.
Northern Virginia will see little change. A 39-mile stretch of Interstate 66 from U.S. 15 near Haymarket to Strasburg is the only increase for that region.
Hampton Roads is unaffected.
The change isn’t official until VDOT posts signs reflecting the higher limit. It allows drivers who already fudge a few miles per hour over the 65 mph limit to lock it in legally on cruise controls.
But it also shaves the margin of error between lawful speed and reckless driving – by state law, anything greater than 80 mph. Virginia’s reckless driving laws are among the strictest in the nation. Maximum punishments include up to 12 months in jail, fines as high as $2,500 and a six-month drivers license suspension. It usually requires an offender’s presence in court and often the aid of a lawyer.
Related safety improvements on affected portions of higher-speed highway include improved guard rails and installation of rumble strips.
___
Online:
VDOT List of affected stretches: http://www.virginiadot.org/news/resources/Statewide/VDOT_FINAL_RECOMM_LISt.pdf