MoDOT evaluating rural highways for potential 75 mph speed limits

By: Euphenie Andre

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) -- A new Missouri law allowing higher speed limits on certain rural highways is set to take effect Aug. 28, but drivers will not see immediate changes.

Gov. Mike Kehoe signed Senate Bill 1408 in July, giving the Missouri Department of Transportation the authority to raise speed limits from 70 to 75 mph on eligible rural highways and interstate freeways.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is evaluating eligible highways to determine where speed limits could potentially increase to 75 mph. MoDOT said no speed limit changes will take effect until that review is complete.

MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger said effective date does not mean drivers can automatically start driving 75 mph.

“Don’t think on August 28th that automatically I can drive faster than the posted speed limit. The sign that’s up is the speed limit until it changes,” Hassinger said.

MoDOT is evaluating individual highways to determine where a higher speed limit could be implemented safely.

“There definitely are places where it does not make sense to do so,” Hassinger said.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 11,288 people were killed in speeding-related crashes in 2024.

The agency said traffic congestion can be one factor that contributes to speeding and other aggressive driving behaviors. When drivers become frustrated or impatient in heavy traffic, they may be more likely to speed, frequently change lanes or become angry with other drivers they believe are slowing them down.

In a news release, MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger said the department is working to balance traffic efficiency with safety.

“There’s a balance to be struck here between efficient traffic movement and safety, so we’re taking careful consideration of any potential location, what the roadway is like there and how people use it,” Hassinger said.

Under the new law, MoDOT will continue to determine speed limits and must consider whether a higher limit would be reasonably safe for each roadway.

The department said its evaluation will include several factors, including:

• Current traffic volumes
• Truck traffic volumes
• Crash history
• Terrain
• Road design and existing safety features
• Speed limits in neighboring states near the Missouri border

Hassinger said the department wants to carefully evaluate each location before making any changes.

“We basically made people aware that this could have negative impacts,” Hassinger said. “That’s why we’re being really careful.”

Interstate 70 will not see its speed limit increase while construction continues through MoDOT's Improve I-70 Program. The department said it will reevaluate the corridor once the rebuild and expansion project is complete.

“We’re not going to do anything on I-70,” Hassinger said. “We’ve got most of that under a work zone speed limit anyway, and we’re actually having trouble getting people to drive the workzone speed limits,"

Hassinger said MoDOT hopes to complete its review of eligible locations by the end of the year and provide an update on which highways could see higher speed limits.

Until then, MoDOT is reminding drivers to continue following posted speed limits, particularly in work zones across the state.