Wyoming Speed Limit Drop to 65 On Part of I-80

Beginning on October 15 and ending on April 15, a 65 miles-per-hour speed limit will be imposed on a stretch of Interstate 80 in Wyoming. The purpose of the wintertime measure, according to Wyoming Department of Transportation officials, is to reduce the number of weather- and speed-related crashes on the section of highway. The effected area is the 52-mile segment between the Peterson Interchange, 22 east of Rawlins, and the Quealy Dome Interchange, 20 miles west of Laramie.

In late November, WYDOT also expects to install variable speed limits signs on part of the same segment, allowing the speed limit to be reduced to as low as 35 miles per hour if road or weather conditions warrant it.

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol Colonel Sam Powell, the new limits are being instituted in response to unpredictable and extreme weather conditions often encountered by owner operator truck drivers and other motorists in the area. Blowing and drifting snow, road icing, and high crosswinds contribute to hazardous driving for those with truck driving jobs. Powell described the variability of conditions, saying that clear visibility and dry roads can turn into zero visibility and icing hazards in the blink of an eye.

The 10 mile-per-hour drop in the speed limit will buy truckers and other motorists some additional reaction time, critical to responding appropriately to rapidly changing driving conditions they encounter on the road ahead of them.

This seasonal speed limit reduction initiative is the first step toward further reductions, utilizing variable signs on a case-by-case basis following evaluation of weather and road conditions, Wyoming Department of Transportation officials stated.

Those with OTR driving jobs are reassured the section of Interstate 80 will return to the customary 75 miles per hour on April 15.

WYDOT analyzed crash and speed data to determine that about three fourths of all crashes on I-80 during the past ten years have occurred during winter. The same analysis identified unsafe speed as being a factor in 71 percent of them.

Ten roadway sensors have been installed on this I-80 segment to gauge traffic speed. More weather and visibility sensors are planned to help provide information on determining safe speed limits for prevailing conditions.

WYDOT and the University of Wyoming are working in conjunction to study the system’s effectiveness of the system. If the pilot project is effective in crash reduction, other identified Interstate 80 sections are slated to become candidates for the variable speed limits sometime in the near future.