Speed Limit to increase on US 20 between I.F. and Ashton

The Idaho Transportation Department announced Friday the speed limit will increase to 70 mph between Idaho Falls and Ashton.

The new speed limit signs will be posted on Wednesday, March 22nd.

The new limit stems from traffic studies completed Feb. 21, they said. The report showed 85-percent of drivers traveled at 70 mph or below. Because of the 85-percentile, it results in lower crash rates, they said.

ITD said they discussed the proposed speed limit with county officials and law enforcement before making the changes.

The current speed of 65 mph will remain until the new signs are posted.

“Raising the speed limit to 70 mph will further traffic safety and mobility,” said District 6 Traffic Engineer Ben Burke. “Posted speed limits can’t replace common sense, however. Drivers should always slow down if necessary to meet hazardous conditions.”

Other speed limits will change in and around cities.

They said for instance, the speed limit between Lindsay Boulevard and Riverside Drive in Idaho Falls will be lowered from 55 to 45 mph. See the speed-limit map here for more details.

In 2014, the Idaho Legislature amended the “Basic Rule and Maximum Speed Limits” in Idaho Code to allow the Idaho Transportation Board to raise interstate speed limits to 80 mph and other state highway speed limits to 70 mph, when concluding that the increases are in the public interest based on engineering and traffic studies.

Last year, ITD raised the speed limit to 70 mph on U.S. 20 between Idaho Falls and Butte City, on Idaho 22 between its junction with Idaho 33 and Dubois, and on Idaho 28 between Mud Lake and Leadore. The transportation department also raised the speed limit to 70 mph on a 15-mile section of U.S. 95 in northern Idaho.