The Texas Department of Transportation looked at German autobahn rules, and thought…we’re Texas. We’re bigger and badder, and need to be faster. The autobahn is famous for not having speed limits, though the German “recommended limit” is 130 km/h, which equates to about 81 mph.

Texas State Highway 130, currently under construction, will run between San Antonio and Austin. The throughway is a north/south line that’s been designed to alleviate congestion from I-35, the fourth-most congested road in the Union. Most of the highway’s been built, though the final stretch may be designated with a very unique title.

Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature passed a law allowing speed limits up to 85 mph on new roads. And that last section of 130 just may have an 85 mph limit. Should the Texas DoT dot the Texas highway with 85 mph speed limit signs, it will be the fastest posted maximum in the Western Hemisphere and second fastest in the world. A few roads in Poland have 86 mph limits. (Feel free to come up with a Polish joke here…screen doors and submarines…how many Poles does it take to put in a speed limit sign? Two…the left side and right…that was a trick question…you might stump a few Poles…PS I’m Polish so I can write these…).

Utah is the only other state in the U.S. with a posted speed limit of 80 mph.

Gotta love the free wheelin’ spirit of the American West.

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