Speed limits to drop on U.S 281 and rise on RR 1431 in Marble Falls

CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER

MARBLE FALLS — Development, congestion and roadway improvements have prompted the Texas Department of Transportation and the city of Marble Falls to approve speed limit changes, in one case by as much as 15 mph, along U.S. 281 South and RR 1431 East, officials say.

“The city had asked us to check on speed limits on U.S. 281 to look at them and make sure they are still appropriate, and in some cases, they’re being reduced,” said Chris Bishop, public information officer for the TxDOT Austin area district. “In one case from 70 (mph) down to 55, and others are being set according to a new speed study.”

The changes include:

• On U.S. 281 South from Texas 71 to 1½ miles north into the city, the speed limit has dropped from 70 mph to 65 mph.

• From that point, another 1½ mile north to an area near the Huber Mining Corp. entryway, the speed limit (formerly 70 mph) drops to 55.

• Continuing past the Gateway Central intersection, the limit decreases by 10 mph to 45 mph.

•Approaching the U.S. 281 bridge over Lake Marble Falls through the city to RR 1431, the speed limit was reduced from 55/45 mph to 35 mph.

“Typically, (the lower limits are) because of added development, congestion. Let’s face it: It’s a growing area on that 281 corridor,” Bishop said. “As a result, when they start looking at that and start looking at how people are driving, then the speed limits can be checked and adjusted accordingly.”

After the transportation commissioner approved the new limits on U.S. 281, the Marble Falls City Council drafted an ordinance Oct. 6 to coincide with the changes to pave the way for the Marble Falls Police Department to begin enforcement of the changes within the city limits.

Penalties are not enforceable until TxDOT installs the signs, Bishop said.

“Now, it’s a matter of, when they come in, installing the new speed limit signs,” he said. “It could be a matter of weeks. We’ll get them installed as soon as we can.”

MFPD is expected to offer initial warnings to motorists.

As opposed to the decreased limits on U.S. 281, the speed limit will increase by five miles per hour along an unincorporated swath of road in a rural portion of RR 1431 East.

“On 1431 we had done some reconstruction on the roadway to fix the horizontal alignment curves; in other words to take out some of the hairpin turns and smooth that out a little bit,” Bishop said. “As a result the pre-existing speed limit needed to be checked, and when it was it was determined it could be (increased) safely by about five miles per hour.”

The increase in speed limit along RR 1431 goes from CR 341 to RM 1174 east of the city limits.

“Speed limits are not arbitrary. They are typically set at the 85th percentile, which is the speed where most people are comfortable, at that point or below,” Bishop said. “Anybody above that is just driving too darn fast.”

connie@thepicayune.com