Walla Walla County passes ordinance changing speed limits for old U.S. 12
By Griffin Beach on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – After much discussion the Walla Walla County Board of
Commissioners passed an ordinance that changed speed limits on old U.S. Highway
12.
“It’s a long road, no pun intended,” quipped Commissioner Todd Kimball about the
amount of time the changes had been discussed for. Public Works Director Dan Mack
remarked that the discussion was already ongoing when he was installed as interim
director in September 2024.
Going from west to east from the intersection with the new stretch of U.S. 12. There is a
short stretch of 35 mph just before the intersection. The road is then 60 mph all the way
to the Frenchtown marker, except for stretches through Touchet and Lowden where it
goes down to 40 mph.
A draft of the ordinance presented at a public hearing on September 15 included
“buffer” zones of 50 mph around Touchet, and a 35 mph through Touchet. After several
area residents spoke at the hearing and the commissioners discussed the public’s
comments, changes were made resulting in the ordinance that was passed Monday
County Engineer Joel Dickerson said it would be about three to four weeks for the new
speed limit signs to be installed. It was his understanding that the new ordinance would
begin to be enforced once signage was in place.
Photo is screenshot from Google Maps of old U.S. 12 just outside of Touchet
