MARTIN COUNTY  – The Texas Transportation Commission has approved a reduction in the speed limit on about 6.5 miles of State Highway 176 in Martin County stretching from a half-mile west of Tarzan (County Road 2751) to SH 137.

The new speed limit near the communities of Tarzan and Lenorah will be 65 miles per hour once signs are installed on Monday, March 14, 2022. The new speed limit reflects a drop of 10 miles per hour from the previous speed limits.

The current 50-mile-per-hour speed limit in the Grady area will remain in place. The school zone speed limit will also remain near the Grady Independent School District facilities.

“Safety is our top priority, and this is being done in the interest of safety for the traveling public,” Odessa Interim District Engineer Lauren Garduno said. “We heard the concerns of the community and ordered a speed study for the road, which ultimately determined the speed limit could be reduced.”

Speed limits are set through an engineering study — called the 85th percentile method — that reflects the safe and reasonable speed of the majority of drivers on a particular roadway. This is a sound engineering principle that allows TxDOT to set speed limits that maximize safety that are respected and obeyed by motorists. In addition to speed checks, factors such as crash history, turning movements, and roadway conditions are also considered during the study.

“We feel this is the best course of action in terms of safety,” Garduno said. “We encourage motorists to follow all traffic laws and exercise patience when using this corridor. Motorists can help improve safety by observing posted speed limits, avoiding distractions, wearing their seat belts and driving to conditions.”

The Texas Transportation Commission approved the new speed limits at its February meeting. The new speed limits will be enforceable once signs are installed Monday. Law enforcement has been alerted to the lower speed limit.