BEMIDJI, Minn. – The
speed limits on several highways in northwest Minnesota increased from
55 to 60 miles per hour beginning February 1. The new speed limits take
effect when the new signs are posted.
Highways that will receive new speed limit signs include:
· Highway 92- Bagley to Red Lake Falls
· Highway 220- Highway 11 near Drayton to Climax
· Highway 317- Highway 220 to North Dakota
Speed limit increases were previously announced for:
· Highway 113- Mahnomen/Norman County line to Highway 32
· Highway 200- Mahnomen/Norman County line to North Dakota
Speed limits lower than 55 miles per hour along these sections of highway will remain unchanged.
The
speed increases are based on a traffic and engineering study of each
location, which looks at past crash rates, physical attributes of the
highway (such as shoulder widths and access points), and an analysis of
current driving speeds.
In
2014, the Minnesota Legislature directed MnDOT to evaluate its
two-lane, two-way 55 mph highways to determine whether speed limits
could be reasonably and safely increased. The statewide study will end
in 2019.
