Bills Increasing Speed Limits In MI Pass State House Committee

The speed limit would go up on interstates and highways and down on gravel roads under legislation that passed a House committee Tuesday.

State Representative Brad Jacobsen, R-Oxford, is sponsoring the bills and says the speed limit on rural stretches of interstate would go up to 75 miles an hour and could be bumped up to 80 miles an hour down the road.

Speed limits on highways, or M-roads, would go up from 55 miles an hour to 60 miles an hour under the legislation. And speed limits on gravel roads would go down from 55 miles an hour to 45 miles an hour.

The bills would also allow schools to have more leeway on when the school zone speed limit is in effect.

Initially the legislation called for speed limits to go up to 80 and 65 respectively, but had to be drawn down to get the Michigan State Police and Michigan Department of Transportation on board.

The legislation now awaits a vote in the Michigan House.