The Arkansas Highway Department today has announced that an error on new speed limit signs for Interstate 630 has caused the speed limit to be changed to 6 mph from the normal 60 mph.
The erroneous signs were placed along the full length of 630 along the east bound lanes. The signs were installed during over night construction to replace existing signs that had become damaged over the past 10 years. The new signs appear to be missing the “0”, causing the lower speed limit.
Highway Department officials failed to notice the typographical error until they received reports of higher than normal traffic volume during this morning’s commute. The lower speed limited caused large delays for commuters coming from both Saline County and Conway. Local residents, who seldom use the freeway, experienced no delays.
A state police spokesperson tells us that the new speed limit will be enforced until changes to the sign can be made. “It is our role to uphold the posted speed limit, if 6 mph is the posted limit, then we are required by law to issue citations for motorist traveling above that speed.”
The error is the second in less than a month from a Little Rock sign company. Earlier this month the same sign company released a sign to the Florida highway department that misspelled “Flordia”. A company representative tells us the increase in errors appear to be related to an increase in Bryant High School graduates that the company mistakenly hired.
It is expected to take a month to receive replacements signs. The highway department advises all commuters to plan appropriately. A commute from the 430 interchange to downtown under the new speed limit will take over an hour.
The highway department plans to reuse the signs once they are replaced on Interstate 40 between Little Rock and Memphis to raise the existing speed limit by 2 mph.
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