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The Texas Department of Transportation recently announced an adjustment in speed limits on U.S. Highway 96, which took effect April 30.
A speed reduction indicator has been stationed just before the boundary of Hardin County for several weeks. As per official records from TxDOT, a decrease from 75 to 70 mph will be implemented along an approximate 9-mile stretch.
The area between mile markers 120.216, near Silsbee, and 129.050, close to Lumberton, has been under scrutiny since 2020 due to an escalated crash rate.
In 2020, the crash study unveiled a rate of 77.96, exceeding the state average of 60.65. Subsequently, in 2021, the crash rate soared to 93.83 compared to the state average of 69.83. By 2022, the crash rate along this section of the highway nearly doubled the state average, reaching 111.39. The most recent speed assessment conducted in July 2023 recorded an 85% adherence to the current speed limit.