Michigan House Approves 75 Mph Speed Limit Hike
Motorists could travel 75 mph on stretches of Michigan's rural highways under legislation narrowly approved Wednesday in the state House of Representatives.
"Our roads were designed for 75 mph," said Rep. Bradford Jacobsen, an Oxford Republican who sponsored the legislation. "That's the speed that people feel safe traveling."
Under the legislation, the speed limit could be boosted to 75 mph on rural freeways – or 65 mph on state trunkline highways – after an engineering and safety study is completed.
The legislation, part of a multi-bill package, was approved 56-53.
A previous version of the legislation left open the possibility of 80 mph speed limits after further study. But that provision was struck from the legislation Wednesday, with Jacobson saying Michigan roads weren't built for speeds that high.
"A new road would have to be constructed with different arcs, different curves and such," he said.
