Is going 55 mph really the best speed?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I normally drive 55-60, sometimes 63-65 on the freeway, but always in the right lane and only if the freeway is 3+ lanes in each direction. If the freeway is only 2 lanes in each direction, I'll drive the limit in the right lane. In the Houston metro the freeway speed limits are usually 60 and 65. There might be a few places where it's 55 and a few where it's 70. Outside of metro areas the speed limit on freeways is 70 in some places and 75 in others except where it's 80 (from i think it's mile marker 61 to mile marker 491) on I-10 and possibly a few other places....and of course the new raised limit of 85 on a toll road between Austin and San Antonio.

I was at a Barnes and Noble a couple of hours ago thumbing through one of the mainstream automobile magazines (Automobile, R & T, Motor Trend, etc) and I came upon an article about this 85 mph limit road. A map inset is included with the article. I learned the road is designated SH 130. The last press report I read about this road lead me to believe that the location of this road = west of I-35. I know the 85 mph limit started only last year, but I haven't bothered to seek it out because the thought of fighting traffic in Austin was always in the back of my mind. When I saw the map inset, I thought I've seen the interchange at HWY 290 during trips to and from Austin and I've even driven on it (but I know I didn't pay a toll). My impression was that this is a very well constructed highway. I just looked the highway up on Wikipedia. Wikipedia states that the 41 mile section between Lockhart and I-10 is the 85 MPH limit section, the highest posted speed limit in the U.S. This section just opened in late October 2012. I tried to find it on Mapquest, and this section isn't included yet. I tried Google (which I try to avoid), and this new section is on Google Maps.

This section is (in its entirety) East of I-35 (as is all of SH 130). The part of I-10 where it ends is pretty rural (IMO, from experience). I imagine the rest is as well. I have yet to make it to The Alamo (), even though I could do it on a long day trip (and I have spent some time in San Antonio on trips to and from California). When I do make it to The Alamo, I'll budget time to explore this 41 mile stretch of SH 130 as well.