TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT: Idaho to install variable speed limit signage along I-15

The Idaho Department of Transportation is preparing to install the state’s first variable speed limit signs on a stretch of I-15. The generally posted speed limit along the concerned stretch of interstate is 80 mph, but the new signage will allow transportation officials to wirelessly lower the speed limit during dust storms and other weather-related events.

Plans are to pour foundations for the signs on this week along the 1.5-mile stretch of highway north of Idaho Falls—an area that has experienced multiple vehicle pileups in recent years.

According to the Post Register, the area is particularly prone to dust storms when fields are bare and winds are high. State officials are optimistic that the signs will keep the freeway open longer during times of poor visibility. If they work well, officials may consider putting them in other areas prone to dust storms.