Thread: Drove 130!
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      10-26-2012, 06:49 PM   #1
DtE1
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Drives: 135i, MINI Cooper S
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Drove 130!

Got your attention didn't I?

On my way back to Houston from Austin on Wednesday afternoon, I drove on the new Texas 130 toll road which has an 85 mph speed limit. Since this was the first day the road was open to the public, there was very sparse traffic. While I did exceed the 85 mph limit slightly reaching triple digits briefly, I chose not test the increased speed limiter of the 135i. It was a strange feeling to drive legally at that speed for the first time, but it was not the most interesting or entertaining drive. Until November 11th, they are not charging any tolls according to the signs and news reports.

One of the first exits south of Austin is for Circuit of the Americas, the F1 track being built that will supposedly host an F1 event in 2013. The track is at least a mile away from 130 on the east side. This side trip added a few extra miles on my return trip home. I exited at State Highway 80 which took me to Luling where I caught I-10E to Houston. The big downside to this stretch of road is that being built through very rural undeveloped farmland, there are feral hogs and deer freely roaming, especially at night. Three accidents with hogs/deer have already happened in the first two days of the road being open to the public.

On Tuesday before the road was opened to the public, a Hennessey Performance VR1200 Twin Turbo Cadillac CTS-V clocked 220.5 mph on this road, ostensibly to test the camera systems at the toll stations. Yeah right! Good thing they didn't run into a hog!

Interesting side note - I had taken my TomTom to help navigate the streets of Austin and I left it on while driving down Texas 130. That road won't be on the maps for a while, and it drove the GPS crazy trying to figure out and recalculate the route numerous times.
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