Speed limit on State Highway 361 may be permanently lowered

The speed limit on an 11-mile stretch of State Highway 361 — a heavily traveled corridor that was the scene of several fatal car crashes this summer — may be permanently lowered in the near future.

It’s expected that the Corpus Christi City Council will consider dropping the speed limit from the State Highway 361 and Park Road 22 intersection to Mariners Drive, according to an early version of the agenda for the Oct. 27 meeting.

The Texas Department of Transportation is recommending the change after a traffic study, performed in the aftermath of fatal car wrecks in August, documents show.

A new 50 mph speed limit spanning from the intersection of State Highway 361 and Park Road 22 up to slightly south of Beach Access Road 1A was established in late

August, according to previous Caller-Times reporting.

However, “concurrence from the city of Corpus Christi and approval by the Texas Transportation Commission is required to keep the speed limit at 50 mph,” wrote TxDOT spokesman Rickey Dailey in an Oct. 21 email to the Caller-Times.

The existing speed limit is 55 mph from the Park Road 22 intersection to Packery Channel and 60 mph from Packery Channel to Mariners Drive, according to a posted presentation.

State Highway 361: Over 800 traffic stops on SH 361 since safety initiative began

The proposal would drop the speed limit for both sections to 50 mph, agenda documents show.

A traffic study concluded that the 85^th percentile of travelers drive that length at about 50 mph, according to a Sept. 3 letter signed by Juan Marfil, TxDOT’s director of traffic operations.

He requests in the letter that the council pass an ordinance reflecting TxDOT’s recommendations.

“Once we have the city ordinance, we will schedule sign installations with the lowered speed limit,” Marfil wrote.

Suggestions for safety: Stop lights, median? Residents suggest safety improvements on SH 361

TxDOT is also recommending that speeds on Crosstown Expressway, from Interstate 37 to Lipan Street, be adjusted from 50 mph to 65 mph, according to the posted presentation.

The agency is additionally proposing increasing the speed limit on the Harbor Bridge between Beach Avenue and Interstate 37 from 55 mph to 65 mph, the presentation shows.

Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at [e-mail].

Consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to the Caller-Times. 

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Speed limit on State Highway 361 may be permanently lowered