April 25, 2008
CDOT RAISES SPEED LIMIT ON I-25
BETWEEN BELLEVIEW AND BROADWAY
NEW SPEED LIMIT WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED
DENVER– Last night, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) raised the speed limit on I-25 between Belleview and Broadway. Following a traffic engineering analysis as required by state law, CDOT determined the following as being the appropriate and safe speed limit for the highway’s current condition:
Belleview to north of Yale – raise from 55 miles per hour (mph) to 65 mph
South of Yale to Broadway – raise from 55 mph to 60 mph
Broadway north – will remain 55 mph
“Following the improvements made as part of the T-REX project it was clear that the 55 mile per hour speed limit was no longer appropriate and that raising the speed limit could improve the safety of the highway,” said CDOT Traffic Engineer Tony DeVito. “The existing speed limit was established on a roadway that had vastly different characteristics than the reconstructed highway we drive on today.”
CDOT’s engineering studies utilize nationally-accepted methods which take into account roadside features, roadway geometric characteristics, accident history, and vehicle speeds. The national standard recommends use of the 85th percentile speed (the speed at or below which 85 percent of the vehicles are moving) as the primary factor in establishing the speed limit. The reason for this is because the vast majority of drivers will drive at speeds they consider safe and reasonable under ideal conditions. The study of I-25 found 85th percentile speeds in the 70-75 mph range in the study segment. CDOT’s goal is to set the appropriate speed limit so that the maximum number of vehicles travel at about the same speed, thus reducing conflicts caused by extreme speed differentials.
CDOT, in partnership with the Denver Police Department (DPD) is warning motorists that these new speed limits will be strictly enforced. One of the primary functions of DPD is to provide a safe environment for the motoring public. In order to do this, DPD will be providing additional enforcement along I-25 to allow motorists to travel safely within the new speed limit.
CDOT is providing a grant of nearly $100,000 in federal funds to DPD to fund overtime hours and radar equipment in an effort to ensure compliance with the new speed limit and improve the safety of the highway.