Drivers on the Spaulding Turnpike can now legally fill their need for a little more speed by the beginning of the new year. New Hampshire Department of Transportation spokesman William Boynton says the speed limit from exit 9 to exit 16 will increase from 55 miles per hour to 65 miles per hour by Jan. 1.
A traffic study found that the stretch of turnpike, which was widened from a two-lane road into a divided highway in 2012, can support increased speeds. The study also found that drivers in the area are already “driving at that level,” Boynton says.
The study initially suggested increasing the speed limit on the turnpike at the Dover tolls, just before exit 7, but Boynton says state police were opposed to increasing the speed limit on the road before exit 9. DOT officials met with Rochester city councilors to discuss the changes, and Boynton says the department has not heard any concerns for the public.