Your explanation does not make ANY sense, 1) the speed limit is 55 MPH beginning 1/4 mile before entering the tunnel and extends just over 1/4 mile after exiting, not 70 MPH, 2) trucks strictly stay in the right lane in the tunnel they can not pass in it, I have been been traveling through them multiple times every day for 40 years and know this to be a fact so no truck was pushing you through in the left lane. 3) The police officers do not set at the exit of the tunnel, they set up just after the point where the speed limit increases to 70. 4) do you not think the officer didn't know you were not local before approaching your vehicle? There is only 1 lawyer in all of Bland County so 6 solicitations?. If you received a citation for 80 MPH in a 70 MPH zone instead of 80 in a 55 (reckless driving) sounds like you were given a big break by the officer. Don't speed on our roads or you will get what you deserve!

Sorry, this isn't a speed trap. If you were paying attention to your driving, you would have noticed a speed limit sign about a quarter mile before the tunnel. The speed limit DROPS from 70mph to 55mph, the old Double Nickel, from the 1970s. And, it has been this way since the 1970s. You are also advised to turn on your headlights. GPS units can't connect in the tunnel, so they may say the speed limit is still 70mph, but it is not. This also applies to the other tunnel on I-77. Bland County has two tunnels in it. One coming in from Wythe County and one going into West Virginia. Both have the same requirements. Slow down to 55mph and turn on your headlights. Yes, truckers do speed in the tunnel. Yes, they do use the left lane to pass. And, if caught, they face fines. But, let me assure you, if they hit you, the get the worse end of the deal. Most companies would fire them for speeding in a tunnel and causing a wreck. They are also required to slow down to 55mph and turn on their lights. I am not certain how you were picked up by lawyers. Probably because the ticket is public knowledge and can be paid online. So, ambulance chasing lawyers can read these and then send you solicitations. It's the same with a house mortgage. Anything that is public knowledge can be used against you. Now, you're zipping through the tunnel at 70mph. I clock you on the radar unit. It says you're doing 80mph. Naturally, you can argue this in court. But, I should write the ticket for doing 80mph in a 55mph zone. That's 25mph OVER the posted speed limit. That's Reckless Driving. In WV, you can get from five to 90 days in jail and up to a $500 fine, plus the speeding fine. Virginia tends to only fine you, but it starts at $250. What the Deputy or Trooper did was cut you a break. Doing 80 in a 70 zone is only 10mph over. Not Reckless Driving. It's a fine. You were probably stopped AFTER the speed limit went back to 70mph and she used a little discretion to cut it down. Yes, they do that sometimes. If you're a jerk, they may hit you with the full offense. Do the speed limit. You could still have to drive 55mph. But, worse, if there is a wreck, due to speeding, in the tunnels, you can be stuck there for HOURS. There are only a few exits between the two tunnels you can get off of to bypass a wreck. If you're in the tunnel, you're trapped.