Driving eastern Oklahoma County roads? You might want to check your speed
A roadside memorial stands along the road, while twisted metal and a car wheel still lie at the base of an embankment where a fatal accident occurred on Harrah Road, near Britton Road.
Oklahoma County commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to lower speed limits from 55 mph to 45 mph on that stretch of road and two others in the eastern part of the county. The slower speeds are an effort to bring limits "more in line with the condition of the roads," Oklahoma County engineer Stacey Trumbo said.
The roads affected by the change include Harrah Road between Memorial and Britton roads, Triple X Road between Wilshire Boulevard and NE 63 Street, and Memorial Road between Pottawatomie Road and the railroad tracks that mark the Oklahoma City limits. Most of the affected roadways are narrow, with little lane marking and include some rolling hills.
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District 1, represented by Commissioner Carrie Blumert, inherited the roads during the county's most recent redistricting. The district's road crews began the task of changing the signs Tuesday.
The speed limit change is also due in part to the roads being school bus routes for Harrah Public Schools, along with the accident marked by the roadside memorial, according to Joe Blough, chief deputy commissioner for District 1.
'There are people who speed like a bat out of hell'
A 27-year-old man died in that accident on the night of Feb. 26, 2021. An investigator said "a very high rate of speed was a factor" in the crash, in records obtained from the sheriff's office.
Chyenne Riddle, an employee at a nearby store and resident of the area, said the roads could use improvement, so she doesn't mind the change.
"It doesn't really bother me at all," Riddle said. "Honestly, if I go over 55 my stomach starts flipping because of all the hills."
Riddle said she expects the county to have some trouble with enforcing the new, lower speed limit, though.
"It's been 55 for how many years?" she said. "Let's face it, there are people who speed like a bat out of hell."
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District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan told Blumert in Monday's meeting that her office would likely need to coordinate enforcement efforts with the Oklahoma County sheriff.
Local residents "very much wanted that (55 mph) speed limit and they requested it pretty enthusiastically," he said. "They are accustomed to driving every bit of that."
Trumbo said planned improvements to roads are likely to allow the county to consider raising the speed limit again at a later time.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Can't drive 55: Speed limit drops on eastern Oklahoma County roads
