Subject: / Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
FROM: Dale A Tabat,Truck Freight Programs and Policy Manager Washington State Department of Transportation 360-705-6990 Olympia Office 206-716-1160 Seattle Office 360-481-9538 Work Cell
Mr. Tabat has contacted Ms. Marygrace Parker of the I-95 Corridor Coalition, for he is working on a project looking at speed limit controls during severe weather conditions. Also included is chain up requirements in an urban setting.
Mr. Tabat asks:
1. Do you have speed limit controls (variable or imposed) that you implement during severe weather conditions? If so, could you please provide pertinent information?
2. Do you have chain up requirements in either a rural or urban location(s)?
Any information you can provide would be most appreciated! Thanks in advance!
From: / Raymond Hallavant <>Subject: / Re: Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
I know of none....in Tennessee
From: / Tom Blair <>Subject: / Re: Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
Missouri Department of Transportation does have one 35 mile section of urban interstate in St. Louis (I-270) that has variable speed limit signs. We do not lower these variable speeds simply because of weather conditions. We use these variable speed limits to improve traffic safety and flow during recurring and non-recuring congestion.
Missouri does not have any chain requirements in place.
From: / "Eibel, Henry" <>Subject: / Re: Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
Good Afternoon Dale,
Currently the following guidelines are used for lowering the speed limit on our VSL signs on the NJ Turnpike (148 in total). Please reach out to me if you would like additional information on lowering the speeds for other roadway conditions i.e. Fog, Accident, Roadwork etc.
Chip
50 MPH shall be posted when the Maintenance Department begins a spot salting operation or if they are salting a specific area or structure. In that case, the speed shall be reduced in the specific areas where they are salting. This speed limit shall also be posted during the cleanup operation following a storm when the Maintenance Department is cleaning up Z-turns, U-turns, etc.
45 MPH shall be posted when the Maintenance Department is salting an entire district with their salt crews. Again, the speed limit shall be reduced only in those districts where this activity is occurring.
35 MPH shall be posted when plow teams, be they Maintenance Department or Contractor plow teams, are actively plowing the roadway.
When you are notified by the Maintenance Department that they are commencing salting/plowing operations on the mainline, you are to notify the State Police of these speed limit reductions for those operations.
The posting of these speed limits is to alert motorists to the presence of salting/plowing vehicles traveling at reduced speeds on the mainline, as well as other slower traveling vehicles following our crews, in order to enhance the safety of motorists and our workers/contractors alike. You will also honor State Police requests for speed limit reductions to reflect the appropriate speed limit, due to roadway conditions
If questions arise on this matter during a storm, they should be brought immediately to the attention of the Operations duty representative.
From: / "Monroe, Douglas H ." <>Subject: / Re: Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
North Carolina does not use variable speed limits and we do not have chain requirements!
From: / "Pack, Michael" <>Subject: / Re: Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
2 Attachments from PA:
* Standard Operating Guideline for preemptive interstate closures and other restrictions relating to severe winter weather.
* Reduced speed limit process for severe winter weather.
From: / Alvin Marquess <>Subject: / Re: Speed limit controls during severe weather conditions
Maryland does not have either of these
Sorry