LANSING – N.C. Department of Transportation officials have reevaluated recent speed limit changes to N.C. 194 between Lansing and the Virginia state line in Ashe County.
NCDOT crews will begin placing new speed limit signs, as well as additional new warning signs, as early as the week of April 19. The new speed limit sections are as follows:
• From Lansing town limits to Helton Road: 45 MPH
• From Helton Road to Ball Hallow Road: 35 MPH
• From Ball Hallow Road to Virginia state line: 45 MPH
These changes are the result of a closer examination of N.C. 194 following a change to 35 MPH for all nine miles earlier this spring.
The combination of the crash rate and new policy regarding curves in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices — the engineering standard for roadway signage — required NCDOT officials to review a nine-mile section of N.C. 194 which had previous been unposted with a 55 MPH speed limit per state statute.
The two-lane highway includes sections with various shoulder widths, sharp curves where a 35 MPH limit is appropriate, and other straight sections where a 45 MPH speed limit is appropriate, based on MUTCD standards.
Transportation officials anticipate the new speed limits to reduce the crash rate, and increase overall road safety while maintaining reasonable travel times for citizens.