Speed limit on portion of SC 170 goes to 60 mph

The drive between Okatie and Beaufort should go a little faster now.

The speed limit on a 5-mile stretch of S.C. 170 between Snake Road in Okatie and the Broad River Bridge increased to 60 mph Wednesday, according to S.C. Department of Transportation officials. It was 55 mph.

Highway maintenance crews swapped the now-obsolete speed limit signs for the 60 mph variety Wednesday afternoon, said Maurice Allen, DOT assistant maintenance engineer in Beaufort County.

"The road was always designed for 65 or 70 mph, anyway, so taking it to 60 shouldn't mean any problems," Allen said.

The DOT district office in Charleston -- which manages six Lowcountry counties, including Beaufort -- sets speed limits on state roads in the area. In this case, the stretch of S.C. 170 has no traffic lights and few exits, so the department decided it was safe to increase the limit, Allen said.

Follow reporter Zach Murdock at twitter.com/IPBG_Zach.

This story was originally published January 8, 2014 at 8:24 PM with the headline "Speed limit on portion of SC 170 goes to 60 mph."