The Delaware Department of Transportation is reminding drivers to slow down through the I-95 construction zone – or pay the price.
The warning period for the Electronic Speed Safety Program ended on Sunday, now making drivers financially responsible for speeding.
Drivers have one warning left — first time offenders going 12 miles per hour or more over the posted 45 miles per hour speed limit will be issued a warning. The second offense, and every one thereafter, comes with a $20 fine, plus an extra dollar for every mile over the limit, and other associated fees.
DelDOT spokesperson C.R. McLeod said the violations are civil penalties issued by state police and will not result in added points to a driver’s license.
“The deterrent that’s been put in place, working with state police and trying to come up with a solution that would make this a safer work zone and bring speeds down, it does seem to be working over the first couple of months,” McLeod said. “And we’re going to be continuing to track it and provide updates on it on a regular basis.”
Over 38,000 trips are made through the I-95 construction zone daily, and in a 3 month period, a total of just 24,000 warnings were issued – a sign of safety improvement according to McLeod.
He added speeds have dropped by an average of 10 percent since January and crashes in the work zone have decreased by almost 37 percent compared to this time last year.
“We had over 400 crashes in the construction zone, and a large number of those were attributed to speed,” McLeod said. “And our goal here is to get people to slow down for their own safety, for other motorists safety, and of course for all of the workers that are out there in that construction zone.”
There is one camera in each lane in the middle of the work zone, northbound near MLK Jr. Boulevard and southbound around the 7th street overpass.
