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Sweetwater County sets 45 mph guideline for most unpaved, unsigned county roads
Summary
The Board adopted a resolution clarifying speed limits on unpaved, unsigned county roads, establishing 45 mph as a generally safe and reasonable default and amending the resolution language to reference engineering guidance; commissioners emphasized it as a uniform guideline rather than increased enforcement on remote roads.
Sweetwater County commissioners approved a resolution April 15 to set a default speed guideline of 45 miles per hour for most unpaved, unsigned county roads, citing legislative changes that gave counties the authority to set limits on those roads.
Public Works Director Gene Magarski reviewed the rationale, citing design-speed and sight-distance guidance in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and geometric design standards. Magarski said unpaved, unsigned roads historically defaulted to 55 mph and that reducing that guidance to 45 mph better matches safety design standards on bladed or trail-like roads in the county's Red Desert and other rural areas. He told the board the change is intended to provide uniformity for residents and visitors while acknowledging enforcement and patrol limits on remote roads. After an amendment to the resolution’s whereas language proposed by Commissioner Richards and seconded, the board adopted the amended resolution unanimously.
Why it matters: the guidance affects roughly hundreds of miles of county-maintained unpaved roads and clarifies the county’s position on appropriate speeds given road design and sight-distance constraints; it does not itself create new patrol protocols but sets a default that will guide future posting and safety decisions.
