This sign will soon read 85 miles an hour.

Lots of western states are full of nothingness, and the 41-mile stretch of State Highway 130 between the Austin suburb of Mustang Ridge, Texas and Interstate 10 at Seguin is one of those roads.  Flat and fairly straight, it’s the perfect road for speeding, and rather than fight the speeders, the great state of Texas has decided to give in.  Texas has designated a section of Texas 130 to have a speed limit of 85 miles an hour, making it the fastest road in America.

“The Texas Department of Transportation has determined that SH 130 Segments 5 and 6 may be safely traveled at 85 miles per hour. We are committed to operating a safe, reliable highway for our customers. On any road, drivers hold the key to safety based on traffic, travel conditions and the capabilities of their own vehicles,” said State Highway 130 Concession Co., LLP spokesman Chris Lippincott.

State Highway 130 Concession Company is a private consortium comprised Cintra (a Spain-based toll road firm) and Zachry (a US firm).  While Texas currently has about 575 miles of road with an 80-mile-an-hour speed limit, the new 85 section will be on a toll road.  If you want to drive fast, you have to pay the price.  While it’s not the Autobahn by any stretch, it’s the first step in what some (meaning me and speed freaks like Rowan Atkinson) hope will be a reasonable increase in speed limits on long, empty stretches of four-lane highway.

Tags: toll road, speed limits, speed limit of 85 miles an hour in Texas, 85 miles an hour, speed limit of 85, Texas 130, Texas, Austin, Texas, Mustang Ridge, Interstate 10, Seguin, texas toll road is the fastest in the US, 85 mile an hour speed on toll highway, texas transportation commission, Chris Lippincott, Cintra, Zachry, State Highway 130, State Highway 130 Concession Company, unusual roads, fastest road in america

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