Fastest road in America opens

Date: 24/10/2012

A new stretch of toll road has been opened in Texas in the US which allows drivers to travel at 85 miles per hour.

The 41-mile stretch of road south of Austin has a speed limit higher than any other in America after a law was passed last year in order to make it legal.

It is thought that the time savings and economic benefits of the Texas 130 tollway outweigh the potential dangers of such fast driving, reports statesman.com.

The company which constructed the road will take the revenue from the tolls for the next 50 years, but will pay the Texas Department of Transportation $100 million (£62.6 million), which will be tied to the increased speed limit.

Divided into four lanes, the design of the road is one which supports the increased speed limit, though not everyone driving on the road will travel at the maximum speed.

Richard Retting, Vice President of engineering firm Sam Schwartz Inc, said: "We have decades of study and data, and conclusive evidence, that people do respond to speed limits no matter how high they’re set."

Prior to 1987 there was a nationwide speed limit of 55 miles per hour in America as the country had faced fuel shortages, but in that year Congress relaxed legislation and speed limits have steadily climbed since.

It is thought that the best fuel efficiency is achieved at around 55 miles per hour and as motorists drive faster the efficiency decreases.

The setting of speed limits now lies within the hands of individual states and Texas is one that has used such powers repeatedly.

In the state there is 7,000 miles of road with a 75 miles per hour speed limit and 575 miles where this is capped at 80 miles per hour, making the new toll road less unusual.

Posted by Mary Treen

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