Residents have been requesting a lower speed limit along the Parks Highway near the Talkeetna Spur Road and in the Trapper Creek area for several years. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, or DOT, has announced that it will initiate a pilot project this summer to study speeding in that area.
According to DOT Communications Director Shannon McCarthy, the exact mileposts will be determined in the coming weeks. The pilot project will mean a temporary, seasonal speed limit from May 15 to September 15 this summer. The DOT will collect speed information to find out if the temporary speed limits impact driving habits.
Increased seasonal turning traffic is the main reason for the study, but McCarthy says the DOT will also be looking at the annual average daily traffic and crash history.
McCarthy says seasonal speed limit efforts have been used on other stretches of the Parks and other highways. She says the information they gather this summer will help them make decisions about the appropriate speed limit for the area.
Speed limits will return to previous limits after the data collection is complete in September.
