The speed limit on Pulaski County Road 1550 West has officially been lowered to 30 miles per hour in the Medaryville area, following action by the county council and commissioners Monday.
A temporary speed limit was put in place by the County Highway Department, while nearby U.S. 421 is closed for a bridge replacement. Now, the plan is to keep the 30-mile-per-hour speed limit signs on a permanent basis, at the urging of local residents. “I’m human. I realize that people ain’t going to obey them, but at least it’s a start,” resident Don Scheffer told the council and commissioners during Monday’s joint meeting. “With all the grandkids and the kids, everybody in the neighborhood, at the edge of town and all, I just feel like it would be safer for the kids.”
The council and commissioners approved an ordinance to change the speed limit on 1550 West to 30 miles per hour between 150 North and 300 North. Meanwhile, the speed limit on 300 North is temporarily reduced to 30 miles per hour between 1550 West and U.S. 421, but it will return to normal once the construction project is complete.
Highway Superintendent Terry Ruff agreed to the changes, but he said the new speed and weight limits on 1550 West have led to some unintended consequences. He explained that vehicles looking to get around the closure on U.S. 421 are now finding other county roads to use as a detour. The Indiana Department of Transportation’s official detour has drivers using State Roads 14, 49, and 10.
