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Question: How can there be different speed limits on the same street, going in opposite directions?

At West Vandalia Road and South Holden Road, the speed limit is 35 mph going west on Vandalia. Coming east on the same street (Vandalia) from Wiley Davis Road, the speed limit is 45 mph. 

— Helen Butler-Duncan, Greensboro

Answer: Two different speed limits on opposite sides of one street block isn’t atypical, but in this case, it could have been a mistake.

The Greensboro Department of Transportation is responsible for posting speed limit signs along city streets.

Noland Tipton, a department street engineer, said a sign could have been switched during construction on West Vandalia Road.

He said the department will change the 45 mph speed limit sign on eastbound West Vandalia Road near Glen Hollow Road to 35 mph.

“We did a speed study, and we are going to correct it. It should be corrected within a few weeks,” he said.

Transportation staff recorded speeds, the type of usage on the road and other factors to determine that the speed should be 35 mph on both sides of the road, Tipton said.

He was not aware of the different speed limits causing any serious issues.

Capt. Chris Walker, commander of the police department’s southern division where the road is located, said officers must stay abreast of speed limits to avoid citing an innocent motorist for a violation.

Walker said varying limits on one street or one block are common across the city and the state. The speeds are determined by traffic needs specific to an area.

“Most of the time, it’s about what you’re coming into,” Walker said. “A heavy residential area, a school zone, a major retail center.”

Tipton reminds motorists to heed all posted speed limits.

“You’re responsible for that speed unless something tells you something different.”