If you live or work in the Berryville area, you should probably start paying close attention to the traffic signs.

VDOT is getting ready to lower the speed limit on parts of Route 7 and Route 340 in Clarke County.

Area residents, however, don't seem to mind the changes if it means safer roads for kids.

It's officially, driver-beware, for motorists in the Clarke County area.

You can't race down Route 7, or plow through Route 340, if you're heading to downtown Berryville.

VDOT is extending the residential speed limit of 25 miles-per-hour on Routes 7 and 340 after the town government asked for some help.

"Those types of changes do require an engineering investigation to be performed," says Jeff Lineberry, Residency Administrator, VDOT. "That has occurred, and these recommendations are a result of that study."

Zones that were previously 55 and 45 miles-per-hour on Route 340, will be dropped 10 miles-per-hour as well.

With greater development in the region, and a high volume of school areas, officials want residents to be safer.

Now, obviously, with speed limits getting bumped down, drivers are going to have to be a little bit more cautious, and give themselves more
time to get where they need to go. But that's a sacrifice that many people seemed willing to make.

"I don't see any concern at all, from my standpoint," says Gary Smith, Berryville resident. "I could see that people who do commute through the area may be concerned about it. But, I work here and live in the town of Berryville, so it's going to be a big improvement as far as I'm concerned."

"For safety, it's a good thing because there's a school zone up there," says Jason Fairfax, Berryville resident.

"The children come out in the middle of the road and they don't know when to use the crosswalk signs," says Jeremy Grady, Berryville resident. "They just walk right out in front of everybody."

Still, Berryville has plenty of commuters, and not all of those drivers were happy.

"I'm kind of a little upset that they're going to change it, because I think 55 is a good speed limit," says Susan Foster, commuter. "45 is a little slow for that area. There's no schools or anything in that area, so I don't understand why they are going to lower it."

The intersection of Senseny Road and Route 340, was identified as an area of extreme concern.

Weather permitting, work on the speed limits will take place next week.

Route 340 changes begin on Monday and Route 7 changes on Tuesday.