Speed limit on Route 11 leaving Pulaski to change
By MIKE WILLIAMS
The Patriot
The speed limit going out of Pulaski on Route 11 is about to change.
Ever since the town-wide speed limit was set at 35 mph, unless otherwise posted, a common complaint among many residents of the town has been that the speed limit on Route 11 (Lee Highway) leaving town is too slow.
Many motorists who were previously used to hitting the gas and driving 55 mph down the hill just past LewisGale Hospital-Pulaski weren’t too fond of the new 35 mph limit.
Mayor Shannon Collins said Tuesday at a meeting of Pulaski Town Council that he had heard from “multiple” people that the speed needs to be increased, and he agreed, noting the issue needs more discussion.
Town Manager Darlene Burcham told council if it decides to change the speed limit leaving town on Route 11, it would have to be changed to 45, not the original 55 because of the need to have the VDOT-required distance between speeds.
Vice Mayor Brooks Dawson suggested the 35 mph speed would change to 45 just past the hospital to the town limits at Morehead Lane, where it then increases to 55 in the county.
Councilman Michael Reis questioned changing the speed in the area due to possible future residential or business development on 18 acres the town owns in that area along with other acreage.
He also noted a change would be making an exception to the town’s 35 mph town-wide speed, and one exception breeds other exceptions.
However, Reis said, considering it’s a down-hill section of roadway, he understands why people are frustrated by the slower speed in place now.
After some discussion, Reis motioned that council amend the speed limit on Route 11 northbound in the area between the hospital and Morehead Lane from 35 mph to 45.
The amendment passed unanimously.
April 8, 2023 @ 7:23 am
I HATE THE ENTIRE DOWN TOWN CHANGE. IT WAS GOOD THE WAY IT WAS. I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND WAS NEVER CHANGED. IT DOESN’T MEAN PEOPLE WILL GO SHOP. PEOPLE JUST NEED A BREAK ON ALL THE PRICES. I EVEN GOT CHARGED MORE ON CAR INSURANCE, I HAD 3 CARS SOLD 1 AND NOW PAYING EVEN MORE ON INSURANCE
April 9, 2023 @ 9:01 am
Our town takes our increase in taxes and waste our money for useless I do agree with getting main street fixed but I hear that a grant was for that so now you waste our money on the rest
April 9, 2023 @ 10:47 am
All of the changes are at best meaningless and at worst wasteful. The downtown traffic-flow changes were utterly unnecessary. The Rt. 11 speed limit changes were utterly unnecessary.
The money could have been used much more meaningfully. The route 11 entrance into Pulaski is a disgrace: one crumbling eyesore after another lining the entrance to our mostly-gorgeous town. Tear them down and put in parks. Or shops. Or wild space. Will those empty, crumbling buildings blight our home forever? Please consider a remedy?