MTA: ICC Speed Limit Will Increase To 60 MPH

The speed limit on the Intercounty Connector is going up, the Maryland Transportation Authority announced Monday.

The ICC's speed limit will receive a 5 mph boost, upping the limit to 60 from 55, according to the MTA.

The new speed limit will likely take effect on March 31.

The decision to raise the speed limit comes after an MTA engineering study and crash analysis. With the crash analysis, traffic engineers examined vehicular crashes for the ICC’s first year of operations between I-270 and I-95.

The analysis helped the MDTA confirm that the speed limit may be safely raised to 60 mph.  

“This is a win for everyone and will certainly please the growing number of drivers who regularly travel the ICC,” Maryland Sen. Jennie Forehand (D-Dist. 17) said in a statement.  “I appreciate the [MTA] stepping up last year in studying this issue and maintaining their commitment to safety the entire time.” 

The engineering study and crash analysis is available online.

New warning signs for curves will be added to the road, the MTA announced. Drivers traveling the ICC from end to end may save approximately 1½ minutes of travel time with the speed increase. 

“We are confident that a 60 mph speed limit is safe and justifiable based on the design speed and geometry of the roadway, as well as on the speed most motorists are comfortable traveling the ICC,” MTA Executive Secretary Harold M. Bartlett said in a statement.

Related Content:

• Report: ICC Could See Speed Limit Raised To 70 MPH (Jan. 29, 2013)
• Report: Police Aggressively Issue Tickets On ICC (Jan. 16, 2013)
• Report: Study Shows ICC Speed Limit Can Safely Increase To 60 MPH (Dec. 21, 2012)
• SPEAK OUT: Is The ICC Underused and Overpriced? (Dec. 8, 2012)
•  (Dec. 5, 2012)