DETROIT – About 1,500 miles of Michigan state highway will see a speed limit increase starting on May 1.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) says 900 miles will see an increase to 65 mph, and 600 miles will see an increase to 75 mph.
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Public Act 445, passed by the state Legislature in late 2016, tasked MDOT and Michigan State Police with increasing speed limits on some state highways and freeways based on 85th-percentile speeds (the speed at or below which 85 percent of traffic is moving) and the results of engineering and safety studies.
The law requires that these modified speed limits be in place prior to Jan. 5, 2018.
(You can also view a map of highways with changing speed limits here)
MDOT will begin posting new speed limits beginning May 1, starting with three freeway routes:
• I-75 – Bay City to US-23 in Mackinaw City (Bay, Arenac, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Crawford, Otsego, Cheboygan, and Emmet counties), and St. Ignace to Sault Ste. Marie (Mackinac and Chippewa counties)
• US-127 – I-69 to the end of the freeway at St. Johns (Clinton County), and the beginning of the freeway at Ithaca to I-75 (Gratiot, Isabella, Clare, Roscommon, and Crawford counties)
• US-131 – M-57 to the end of the freeway north of Manton (Kent, Montcalm, Mecosta, Osceola, and Wexford counties)
ALSO SEE: New speed limit signs being prepared for select Michigan highways
The other corridors reviewed and selected for increased speed limits are:
· Limited-access freeways
· I-69 – I-69 Business Route (Saginaw Highway) to Swartz Creek (Clinton, Shiawassee, and Genesee counties)
· I-69 – From the Genesee/Lapeer county line to I-94 (Genesee, Lapeer, and St. Clair counties)
· US-10 – M-115 to I-75 (Clare, Isabella, Midland, and Bay counties)
· US-31 – South Oceana County line to US-10 (Oceana and Mason counties)
Non-freeways
· US-2 – Wakefield to Iron River (Gogebic and Iron counties)
· US-2 – St. Ignace to Rapid River (Mackinac, Schoolcraft, and Delta counties)
· US-23 – East of Cheboygan to east of M-65 (Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties)
· US-45 – North of US-2 to M-26 (Gogebic and Ontonagon counties)
· M-28 – East of Harvey to Christmas (Marquette and Alger counties)
· M-28 – Munising to I-75 (Alger, Schoolcraft, Luce, and Chippewa counties)
· M-28 – Wakefield to US-41 (Gogebic, Ontonagon, Houghton, and Baraga counties)
· M-32 – Atlanta to Alpena (Montmorency and Alpena counties)
· M-33 – Atlanta to Onaway (Montmorency and Presque Isle counties)
· M-37 – Mesick to Wolf Lake (Wexford and Lake counties)
· M-55 – US-31 to Cadillac West (Manistee and Wexford counties)
· M-64 – M-28 to Old M-107 (Ontonagon County)
· M-65 – US-23 to M-32 west junction (Arenac, Iosco, Alcona, and Alpena counties)
· M-65 – M-32 east junction to US-23 (Alpena and Presque Isle counties)
· M-68 – I-75 to US-23 (Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties)
· M-72 – Grayling to Mio (Crawford and Oscoda counties)
· M-72 – Fairview to M-65 north junction (Oscoda and Alcona counties)
· M-72 – M-65 south junction to Harrisville (Alcona County)
· M-77 – US-2 to M-28 (Schoolcraft County)
· M-115 – Benzonia to Mesick (Benzie and Wexford counties)
· M-123 – I-75 to Paradise (Mackinac and Chippewa counties)
· M-231 – M-45 to M-104 (Ottawa County)
While implementing these modified speed limits, MDOT also will install advisory speed and curve warning signs, shorten passing zones, move signs, and change pavement markings where necessary. Reduced speed limits in communities along these corridors will remain in place.
"The corridors identified by MDOT and MSP were selected not only because studies indicated most drivers were already driving at those increased speeds, but also because their design and safety features were best suited to these speed limits," said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. "We reviewed design speeds, crash patterns, number of access points, traffic volumes and continuity of these corridors, and chose them to minimize necessary improvements for higher speed limits."
"The engineering and safety studies conducted utilized the 85th-percentile speed, which is a national scientifically proven method to determine and establish safe speed limits," stated Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue, director of the MSP. "Troopers and motor carrier officers do, and will continue to, aggressively enforce all posted speed limits to ensure compliance by the motoring public."
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