In Delaware, I-95 speed limit to rise to 65 mph

WILMINGTON, Del. — Motorists soon can go faster on Interstate 95 in Delaware.

Not that they don't already.

But those first 10 miles an hour over the posted limit soon will be on the right side of the law.

The Delaware Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced that the speed limit is being raised from 55 to 65 mph on I-95 from the Maryland state line to just south of the Interstate 495 split south of Wilmington.

Changing speed limit signs will start Monday, the transportation department said in a statement. That work should is expected to be finished Thursday, weather permitting.

And the speed limit only changes when and where the new signs are posted, transportation officials say.

Shoulders will be closed 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as signs are changed.

"During the three-day transition while signs are being posted, there will be times when the speed limit along the road increases to 65 and then drops back to 55 while the signing changes are being made," said Mark Luszcz, the transportation agency's chief traffic engineer.

The change is coming after extensive Delaware Department of Transportation study of the highway and it safety.

"Crash frequency is not expected to change dramatically," Luszcz said by email.

"Potentially," he added, "crash rates may decrease as our expectation is that the variance in traffic speeds will decrease with the speed limit posted at a more reasonable level.

"Freeways typically are the safest roadways in a roadway network," he said. But the agency also plans follow up studies of speed and crashes on the interstate, comparing to past data to determine the impact of the speed limit change.

But will the new speed limit change anything for drivers?

"Probably not," said Jim Lardear, spokesman for the AAA Mid-Atlantic motorists' group.

When speed limits are correctly set and enforced, he said, the combination improves motorists' mobility, safety and respect for the law.

Although the state transportation department would not make such a change to reflect existing conditions without proper research, he cautioned about those who would break the limit.

"Speeding is involved in nearly one out of every three fatal crashes," he said, adding that offense often is accompanied by other aggressive driving behaviors such as tailgating and improper lane-changing.

As the new signs go up, drivers can expect the new limit to be enforced more than the old one was.

Delaware State Police expect to have less tolerance for speeders over 65 mph as a matter of safety, said Sgt. Richard D. Bratz, public information officer.

And, he said, state troopers will be out on the highway to drive home the message, enforcing the new speed limit even as the signs are being changed.