By Meghan McCormick
The Norman Transcript
NORMAN — The speed limit has changed this week for three road segments in Norman.
New speed limit signs were posted earlier this week on 108th Avenue NE south of Alameda Drive, Tecumseh Road from 108th Avenue NE to 120th Avenue NE and 24th Avenue SE from Classen Boulevard to Cedar Lane Road.
Angelo Lombardo, City of Norman traffic engineer, said the new limits on each road take effect the moment the speed signs are installed.
Studies were conducted earlier this summer to determine if any limits needed to be changed. Officials found justification for lowering the limit on two roads and raising it on another.
Lombardo said the limit has changed from 50 to 40 mph on 108th Avenue NE south of Alameda Drive, which came after a resident raised concerns.
“We were approached by a resident of the area who wanted us to look at the possibility of lowering the limit,” Lombardo said. “Those decisions are based on traffic and speed studies.”
City officials also decided to drop the limit on a road section where an apartment complex was built on Norman’s far east side.
Lombardo said the limit has decreased from 50 to 40 mph on 24th Avenue SE, from Classen Boulevard to Cedar Lane Road. The Links, an apartment community, recently opened, bringing more traffic on the road.
“It used to be 50 mph when it was more of a rural environment,” Lombardo said.
Speed limits were not lowered on all roadways.
City officials raised the speed limit on a stretch of road in northeast Norman. Lombardo said the speed limit increased from 35 to 50 mph on Tecumseh Road, from 108th Avenue NE to 120th Avenue NE.
He said the limit was raised on the mile section after workers paved the road. The roadway previously was a gravel surface.
“That section of road had never been paved before,” he said. “The city recently put an asphalt surface on the road.”
Meghan McCormick 366-3539 mmccormick@normantranscript.com
