SPOKANE — The state has decided against raising the speed limit to 75 mph along portions of Interstate 90 in Eastern Washington.
The Washington state Department of Transportation, Washington State Patrol and Washington Traffic Safety Commission announced Wednesday they have decided against the proposal because of safety concerns.
The agencies considered increasing the speed limit from 70 to 75 mph along roughly 100 miles of I-90, beginning near the town of George to the Lincoln/Spokane county line.
They found the increased risks and costs associated with the proposed change far outweighed the projected time savings.
Their analysis predicted an additional 1.27 fatal or serious crashes annually if the speed limit was raised. A higher speed limit also would bring an estimated $8.3 million in additional annual safety costs.
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