OWENSBORO, Ky. – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, in coordination with local leaders and law enforcement, will reduce the posted speed limit on the U.S. 60 Wendell Ford Expressway (formerly known as the Owensboro Bypass) from 65 to 55 mph beginning Wednesday, June 24. The change is being made to improve traffic safety in response to increases in traffic volumes and in the number and severity of crashes along the corridor.
In 2017, the speed limit on the expressway was increased from 55 mph to 65 mph following the opening of the U.S. 60 extension. While the change was intended to improve mobility, crash data collected since then indicate a significant increase in collisions.
In the four years preceding the speed increase, the Wendell Ford Expressway experienced 314 crashes. In the last four years, that number rose to 617 crashes.
The number of vehicles on the expressway has also steadily increased for decades, creating additional traffic congestion. Average daily traffic has nearly doubled, rising from 21,900 vehicles per day in 1996 to 41,115 vehicles per day in 2025.
Following a fatal crash in September 2025, the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office increased speed enforcement along the expressway. Over a three-day period, deputies issued more than 40 citations, with some motorists recorded traveling as fast as 90 mph in a 65-mph zone.
At the request of local officials, KYTC conducted a comprehensive review of crash data for the route. The analysis determined that a speed limit reduction along the expressway can improve safety outcomes. Lower speeds provide drivers with more time to react in high-volume traffic conditions and reduce the severity of crashes when they do occur.
Considering the highway’s higher traffic volumes, lower operating speeds are expected to improve merging operations by providing drivers with additional time to accelerate, react, and merge. KYTC is also evaluating additional signing and operational improvements at selected interchanges to help drivers safely enter the roadway.
In addition to the speed limit reduction, KYTC is advancing a Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) project that will install median cable barriers along portions of the U.S. 60 corridor. The project is intended to reduce the likelihood of crossover crashes, which often result in the most severe injuries and fatalities. The project is currently under development and is expected to be advertised for bids later this year.
Highway crews removed existing 65 mph speed limit signs and installed new 55 mph signs overnight Tuesday. The reduced speed limit was in effect as of Wednesday morning.
Comments