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Drivers Split On Higher Speed Limits

You might be able to get where you are going a little faster in parts of northeastern and central Pennsylvania. Speed limits have gone up from 65 to 70 miles pe...
I-80 SPEED LIMIT 1signs

You might be able to get where you are going a little faster in parts of northeastern and central Pennsylvania.

Speed limits have gone up from 65 to 70 miles per hour on parts of Interstates 380 and 80.

We watched PennDOT workers post some of those new 70 miles per hour speed limit signs in the Poconos and in parts of Lackawanna County.

But raising the speed limit has plenty of drivers raising concerns.

New_Interstate380_Speed_Map1

PennDOT also increased the speeds along Interstate 80 between the DuBois and the Loganton exits.

New_Interstate_80_Speed_Map1

"Most people, they're up in the 70s all the time over there."

Wyatt Thompson was gassing up just off I-380 and fears what speeds drivers might attempt now.

"I don't know, 90, 85, it's going to be. I don't know, you got to be careful out there, you got to really watch it, because at that speed your reaction time is less."

William Meyers of Blakeslee is driving a big rig along I-380 on his way to Ohio and says the increase is helpful, even when his truck is governed to travel no faster than 67 miles per hour.

"It definitely helps, makes up time, especially when you go through a lot of 55 mile an hour zones, or we travel on a lot of highways with a lot of uphills and we have a heavy load, that loses time."

The 70 miles per hour stretch ends near Tobyhanna where crews posted a new 65 miles per hour speed limit sign.

Orginally PennDOT announced it would be 70 miles per hour up to the Mount Pocono exit but later decided to cut the high speed area back to Tobyhanna because of increased development near Mount Pocono,   including Kalahari Resorts, and the traffic it may bring.

Some drivers hopping on Interstate 380 in the Poconos say they had no idea about the speed limit change and that they could now drive legally at 70 miles per hour.

"I had no idea, no. When did that happen?"

Karolina Davis of Saylorsburg says she rarely drives with her toddler on the highways, but believes speeding up might just make this stretch of road safer.

"It could be safer versus having to slow down constantly, speed up and keep up with all of the signs," Davis said.

PennDOT says all of the speed limit signs will be changed by the end of the day.

PennDOT says they will keep a close eye on these pilot 70 miles per hour stretches of roadway and may make more areas 70 miles per hour in the future.

State police are planning to have extra patrols out to enforce the speed limit.

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