The Kentucky Secretary of Transportation is reviewing a request to raise the speed limit on the US 60 Ford Expressway (formerly known as the bypass) from the posted 55 miles per hour to 65.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 2 Chief Engineer, Wade Clements, told Owensboro Living the KYTC has “received correspondence from the Mayor of Owensboro & the County Judge Executive that they concur with our request.”
The requested approval by Official Order was sent to the Secretary of Transportation because of multiple requests to have the speed limit increased. According to KYTC Public Information Officer, Keith Todd, a traffic study was then conducted that found the average speed of motorists traveling US 60 Expressway was 64 miles per hour.
Todd says the request is expected to be under review until the first quarter of 2017.
KRS 189.390 gives the Secretary of Transportation the authority to grant the change to 65 mph. This is the same statute that allowed KYTC to increase the speed limit on US 68 between Hopkinsville & Bowling Green and other parts of Western Kentucky. The statute mandates the maximum allowable speed limit on a non-Interstate or Parkway route to be 65 mph.
