Have you ever been driving on the interstate and come across a speed zone far slower than the normal 70 to 75 mile per hour limit?

Of course, you have.

Have you ever been driving on the interstate, come upon one of those zones, laughed and said “whatever?”

Of course, you have.

The city of Vicksburg is blessed to sit right on top of Interstate 20. The major thoroughfare has been a blessing to economic and industrial development and has made Vicksburg a must-stop for some of the thousands of travelers who race through.

As for those travelers, though, the 60 mile per hour limit posted within the city limits is in many cases a mere suggestion, or at least that is how those traveling treat it. And, it is not just those from out of town who have a complete disregard for the speed limit, many with Warren County license plates treat the speed limit as a starting point rather than the limit.

During a recent town hall meeting held by the Vicksburg Police Department, the discussion of the speed limit and enforcement of that limit was discussed. The department said they do patrol the interstate and have issued citations to those they have caught breaking the speed limit.

That said, it has done little to control what is at times an out of control drag strip through town.

The Vicksburg Police Department is not overstaffed. It does not have officers sitting around each shift doing nothing. The department is patrolling neighborhoods and city streets, working to curtail crime in the areas where people live, work and play.

That said, the interstate, the on and off ramps and the frontage roads that border the interstate are in need of a little attention.

We are not encouraging the department or the Mississippi Highway Patrol to make Vicksburg a speed trap. We have Louisiana for that.

Instead, we hope the department will schedule more patrols and additional monitoring of our little strip of Interstate 20.

Our community’s connection to Interstate 20 is important and we should make important the safety and well being of all who travel through it.