Texas 130 is America’s only highway with an 85 mph speed limit. Autonomous trucking companies are increasingly eyeing the corridor. Its high speeds and lighter traffic make it an attractive test route. Americans have a reputation for treating speed limits like suggestions. Sure, that’s probably due to several factors outside of their control, but at least one stretch of road encourages them to put their foot down a little more. That’s Texas State Highway 130, the only road in America where drivers can legally go 85 mph (137 km/h). It’s also one of the most attractive sections of road for autonomous trucking companies. The obscure toll road is a 41-mile section of pavement between Austin and Seguin. The 85 mph limit showed up all the way back in 2012. Safety advocates who cite speed as the boogie man would struggle to find data proving that it’s created a problem on SH-130, though. Instead, it’s become what many autonomous vehicle companies see as a prime test bed thanks to its higher speeds and lower traffic. According to Kavout, the SH 130 Concession Company, the entity overseeing SH 130, is working on a next-gen rest stop “designed to manage autonomous trucks with high-capacity EV charging and specialized docking requirements.” Einride, Aurora Innovation, Waymo, and others are already operating autonomous vehicles or planning to in the near future. Autonomous Truck Permits Open The state DMV will begin accepting applications for commercial automated vehicle authorization in May of this year. That’s key because we’re not talking about trucks that require a human driver ready to take over. We’re talking about Level 4 and Level 5 autonomy, where humans can sit back and relax. Google Maps That doesn’t necessarily mean your next drive on TX-130 will involve convoys of driverless semis blasting past at 85 mph. Most autonomous trucking companies still operate with safety drivers onboard, and fully driverless freight operations remain limited. Still, the road’s unique speed limit gives it something no other American highway has. A chance to become the real-world laboratory for testing how autonomous trucks behave at the kind of speeds most states still consider excessive. For more than a decade, Texas 130 has been known as the fastest highway in America. Before long, it may also become the smartest. Or at least the most automated. US Maximum Posted Speed Limits By State StateRural Interstates (MPH)Urban Interstates (MPH)Other Limited Access Roads (MPH)Other Roads(MPH)Alabama70706565Alaska65556555Arizona75656565 trucks: 65Arkansas75 trucks: 706575 trucks: 7065California70 trucks: 5565,trucks: 5570 trucks: 5565 trucks: 55Colorado75656565Connecticut65556555Delaware65556555District of Columbian/a55n/a25Florida70657065Georgia70706565Hawaii60605545Idaho75; 80 on specified segments of road75; 80 on specified segments of road7070Illinois70556555Indiana70; trucks: 65556055Iowa70557065Kansas75757565Kentucky65; 70 on specified segments of road656555Louisiana75707065Maine75757560Maryland70707055Massachusetts65656555Michigan70 (65 trucks); 75 (65 trucks) on specified segments of road707055Minnesota70656560Mississippi70707065Missouri70607065Montana80 trucks: 7065day: 75; night: 70day: 70; night: 65Nebraska75707065Nevada80657070New Hampshire65; 70 on specified segments of road655555New Jersey65556555New Mexico75756555New York65656555North Carolina70707055North Dakota80757065Ohio70657055Oklahoma75; 80 on specified segments of road707070Oregon65; 70 on specified segments of road trucks: 55; 65 on specified segments of road556565Pennsylvania70707055Rhode Island65555555South Carolina70706055South Dakota80807070Tennessee70707065Texas75; 80 or 85 on specified segments of road757575Utah75; 80 on specified segments of road707565Vermont65555050Virginia70706555Washington70; 75 on specified segments of road, trucks: 60606060West Virginia70556555Wisconsin70707055Wyoming75; 80 on specified segments of road75; 80 on specified segments of road 7070 SWIPE Source NHTSA