Pennsylvania Unveils 70-MPH Zones

Welcome to the future: Pennsylvania has unveiled its first 70-mph highway zones, finally letting drivers enjoy late 20th century car-travel standards. The down side? Only a few stretches are getting the new, higher speed limit — so that officials can pull back if too much fun death ensues.

PennDot releases the following info:

Pennsylvania moved ahead with steps to make travel more efficient today as the Pa. Turnpike activated its 70 mph speed limit from Blue Mountain (Interchange 201) to Morgantown (Interchange 298) and PennDOT announced it will launch 70 mph pilot projects on a pair of interstates next month.

State Transportation Secretary and Turnpike Commissioner Barry J. Schoch announced that beginning the week of Aug. 11, PennDOT plans to begin piloting a 70-mph speed limit on two interstates:
· 88 miles of Interstate 80 from Exit 101 (DuBois) in Clearfield County to mile marker 189 in Clinton County; and
· 21 miles of Interstate 380 from Interstate 84 in Lackawanna County to Exit 3 (Pocono Pines/Mt. Pocono) in Monroe County.

“After thorough analysis and reviewing other states’ practices, PennDOT is piloting this speed limit so we can use the data to determine where else the maximum speed could be increased,” Schoch said. “Safety is our top priority in this process, and I urge drivers to obey the speed limit whether they’re in their neighborhood or on an interstate.”

Sadly, none of these zones are in Philadelphia. The upside? Now there’s an excuse to take that weekend rural drive you’ve always thought about taking!