Associated Press Published

Lower Speed, More Patrols Aimed at Making I-77 Safer

A section of Interstate 77 where officials have proposed lowering the speed limit from 70 mph to 60 mph.

West Virginia officials say they hope some new measures will make a dangerous section of Interstate 77 safer to travel.

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports West Virginia Parkways Authority said it would lower the speed limit from 70 to 60 by the end of April, increase patrols, and check tractor-trailers’ equipment more often.

Parkway General Manager Greg Barr made the comments during a ceremony this week in which a bridge was dedicated to two Parkways employees who were killed in a crash last year in Mercer County.

The crash is one of several that have occurred along a stretch of Interstate 77 that goes down Flat Top Mountain into Mercer County.

Barr said officials are trying to take a comprehensive approach to making the roadway there as safe as possible.