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Will the I-66 speed limit be raised?

Posted on Jul 27, 2010

If you regularly drive on I-66 between U.S. 29 in Gainesville and the Va. 234 bypass (Prince William Parkway) you might be interested to know that the speed limit could be going up in that area.

How is a decision like this made? The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will study this four-mile stretch of road to determine if a speed limit increase is warranted. To make this decision they’ll look at lane widths, crash history, traffic flow, and current speed limit enforcement in the area.

I-66 is not unique in getting this kind of attention from VDOT. There are other areas in Virginia being studied for a possible speed-limit increase. That’s because earlier this year the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation permitting state transportation officials to raise speed limits in Virginia, a new law that took effect July 8.

What other areas are targets for a speed limit increase?

I-95 between Route 234 and Dale Boulevard – future study that would raise the speed limit to 70mpt in the main lanes, and also increase the speed limit in the HOV lanes between Dumfries and the Pentagon.
I-285 between Petersburg and I-64 – speed limit already increased

Could speed limits be going up across the commonwealth? That’s too soon to say as there isn’t enough data yet to show if the increased cost is worth it. However, Virginia transportation officials are very interested in speed limit increases, so stay tuned for more.