Speed limits on 77 percent of Minnesota’s rural, two-lane state highways will be increased from 55 to 60 miles per hour, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
New signage posting the new speed limits are in place in most locations, with the rest expected up by spring 2019.
The increase comes at the conclusion of a $1.2 million, five-year study of the state’s two-lane roadways with a speed of 55 miles per hour. MnDOT collected travel speed data and evaluated hazards and roadway geometrics. Crash history, shoulder width, vertical grades, and access points also were evaluated.
MnDOT discovered that on roads with a 60 mile per hour limit the average speed of drivers increased by one mile per hour.
“This means that after speed limits increased, travel speeds at the locations sampled were slightly more consistent between each vehicle,” Nathan Drews, an engineering specialist in the Office of Traffic Engineering, said. “In other words, more drivers traveled at a similar speed after speed limits increased. This is a desirable outcome, but this change is very slight and may not affect the frequency or severity of crashes.”
Properly selected speed limits can increase safety by creating uniform travel speeds, Drews said.
MnDOT previously increased speeds on 1,550 miles of two-lane rural highways to 60 mph between 2006 to 2013.