The Arizona Department of Transportation yesterday upped the speed limit on slower stretches of State Route 347. 

Drivers will now enjoy a smooth 65-mile-per-hour cruise through the 15-mile stretch thousands tackle daily from I-10 to city limits. 

Maricopa asked ADOT to look for “low-hanging fruit” changes that would move the needle on smooth travel along the city’s dominant highway, Mayor Nancy Smith told InMaricopa. 

A recent ADOT study found a consistent speed limit on SR 347 “would allow for more fluid movement,” Smith said. 

This change meant nixing awkward stretches of freeway posted at just 55 miles per hour near the I-10 junction, Riggs and Casa Blanca Roads. 

The change ought to soften drivers’ headaches as they fiddle with cruise control on pre-caffeinated morning commutes. 

But the new speed limit offers safety advantages, too. 

“Considering that the majority of accidents on SR 347 are rear-end collisions, more fluid movement should help reduce these types of impacts,” Smith said. 

ADOT crews yesterday removed the bygone 55-zone signs, a welcome change frustrated Maricopans were quick to notice. 

Smith added, “As we all know, obeying the law, driving responsibly and being patient on SR 347 is the best way to eliminate many challenges.”