For decades, the residents of northern Door County have either enjoyed or complained about the seasonal changing of the speed limit zones along Highway 42 in the Village of Ephraim, but that seasonal change will soon come to an end. Is was usually the first week of May when the busy central Ephraim section of 42 would lower to 25MPH while the northern and southern sections would lower to 35MPH, and then for the “off-season,” both of those limits would increase by 10MPH around the first week of November. Late this October, the inner Ephraim speed limit will permanently change to 30MPH, and the northern and southern sections of 42 will both permanently change to 40MPH, as the seasonal speed limit change will then be no more. Wisconsin DOT Traffic Engineer Rod Hamilton says the village was informed via letter last week, and it was part of a statewide decision…

Some reasons for the permanent change include reducing potential confusion between summer and winter, regulatory speed zone consistency for law enforcement, and consistency with other village central district speed limits of 30MPH. Hamilton says this is the final seasonal change to be eliminated in the state…

Hamilton says the new speed limit signs have been ordered and should arrive in time to be put up permanently during the last week of October.