PennDot says no to 70 mph on I-83

Heading east or west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike from York County these days, drivers now can travel at 70 mph across most of the commonwealth. That change went into effect on Monday when Pennsylvania upped the stretches of the turnpike that were 65 mph to 70 mph.

But getting to the turnpike from York County -- via Interstate 83 North, or U.S. 30 East toward U.S. 222 North -- remains the same 55-to-65 mph.

PennDOT communication director Rich Kirkpatrick said Tuesday that PennDOT evaluated the I-83 corridor through York County to determine if a 70 mph speed limit, where the highway already was posted at 65 mph, was viable. Speed limit evaluations were conducted in 2014 and 2015.

Vehicle fire that closed I-83 lane is cleared

Kirkpatrick said the transportation department determined that upping the speed limit on the interstate north and south of York was not a good idea.

PennDOT concluded that heavy freight traffic -- that is, tractor-trailers -- heavy congestion during peak driving hours, and the frequency of aggressive driving and vehicles weaving in and out of lanes along the corridor made it ill-advised to increase the speed limit.

Kirkpatrick explained that Route 30 through York County was not considered for a speed limit increase because the highest speed limit along that road is 55 mph. The commonwealth only considered speed limit increases on roadways that already were posted at 65 mph.

Multi-vehicle accident on I-83 southbound cleared

Kirkpatrick provided crash statistics for I-83 between 2011 and 2015 that showed an annual average of 368 crashes, with a high of 423 crashes in 2015.

There were 13 fatal crashes in the corridor in the five-year period, according to PennDOT statistics, and 784 reports of injuries ranging from serious to minor.

Of  the total 1,841 I-83 crashes, almost 17 percent involved heavy trucks. Three of those involved fatalities -- two in 2011 and one in 2013.

Charges tossed in I-83 fatal caused by mattress

Russ Rader, senior vice president of communications for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, said Tuesday that the IIHS does not have any knowledge of highway safety as it pertains specifically to I-83 and U.S. 30.

He said, however, that a national study the IIHS released in April "found that for every 5 mph increase in the maximum speed limit on interstates and freeways, we would expect an 8 percent increase in the fatality rate on those roads."

I-83 crash Thursday one of several this week

Roadways now posted at 70 mph

• I-79 from I-90 in Erie County, 97 miles south to just north of the PA 228 interchange in Butler County.
• I-79 from I-70 in Washington County, 33 miles south to the West Virginia border.
• I-80 from the Ohio state border, 190 miles east to a point near mile marker 190 in Clinton County.
• I-80 near mile marker 195 in Union County, 52 miles east to a point near mile marker 247 in Columbia County.
• US 15 from the interchange with PA 14 in Lycoming County, 49 miles north to the New York state border.
• I-99 from Exit No. 68 in Centre County, 34 miles south to a point near mile marker 34 in Blair County.
• I-99 from Exit No. 28 in Blair County, 28 miles south to the intersection with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bedford County.
• I-380 from I-84 in Lackawanna County, 21 miles south to Exit No. 3 in Monroe County.