Friday, March 20, 2026 |
Photo – Speed Limit sign – Bigfoot99 file photo
Northern Carbon County towns asked WYDOT to move speed limit signs for safety.
On Wednesday evening, the Carbon County Council of Governments met in Hanna for an update on the county’s ten municipalities. During the meeting, Wyoming Department of Transportation district engineers delivered a presentation on the State Transportation Improvement Plan and projects scheduled in Carbon County over the next six years.
After the presentation, Medicine Bow Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer told the WYDOT engineers that Medicine Bow has two 70‑mile‑an‑hour signs within town limits: one north on Highway 287 and another east of town on Highway 30, close to a home. Councilwoman Wickizer said the town has been told that a formal engineering and traffic study is required before the speed‑limit signs can be moved.
Besides those two locations, the speed limit is 30 miles per hour in Medicine Bow.
WYDOT District One Traffic Engineer Taylor McCort said state statute requires an engineering study to change the speed limit on any state‑controlled road. McCort added that WYDOT does not take municipal boundaries into account when setting speed limits.
For example, McCort said speeds on Interstate 80 do not change when the highway passes through Laramie or Cheyenne. The WYDOT traffic engineer acknowledged that some homes sit on roads with 70 mile per hour speed limits, adding that speeds are based on the surrounding area and traffic density.
Councilwoman Wickizer said she’s worried that the higher speed limit on Highway 30 puts east side residents in danger. The Medicine Bow councilwoman said heavy truck traffic poses a risk to students heading to school.
As an example of the danger heavy truck traffic poses, Councilwoman Wickizer explained how a commercial truck driver nearly crashed into the Medicine Bow Museum two weeks ago. The councilwoman said the truck caused significant damage to the museum grounds.
Councilwoman Wickizer said the Wyoming Highway Patrol cited the driver, but the state has not offered to assist with cleanup.
Continuing on the topic of speed‑limit signs, Hanna Councilwoman Ellen Freeman said speeds on Adams Street, the main route into and out of town, increase from 30 to 40 miles per hour near H‑E‑M High School. Councilwoman Freeman said the higher speeds may pose a risk to newly licensed drivers.
WYDOT Traffic Engineer Taylor McCort said that, as in Medicine Bow, a traffic study is necessary to move the Hanna speed‑limit sign. McCort said unfortunately, changing the posted limit is unlikely to change how fast people actually drive.
Councilwoman Freeman said simply moving the sign past the high school entrance would improve safety on Adams Street. McCort asked both council members to submit a formal request to move the signs so WYDOT can begin the review process.
