Construction fines don't slow speeders

Construction-zone speeders face hefty fines, but drivers still aren't slowing down.

The Utah Highway Patrol has issued more than a thousand tickets along a two-mile stretch of construction on I-80 since March, officials said.

"Unfortunately they're still cruising along," trooper Cameron Roden said. "We're not having any problems giving out citations."

The Utah Department of Transportation began funding overtime pay for troopers to patrol the area in March. One or two troopers have been tapped each day to handle speeders in the construction zone.

As of Nov. 18, the Highway Patrol had issued 1,189 citations in the construction zone, Roden said.

"People are not obeying the limits," said UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo. "They tailgate each other, and cut in and out of traffic. The posted limit is 55; if cars were to follow that for just that stretch of road, they wouldn't have to make those sudden changes and slam on their brakes."

With limited — and narrowed — lanes open between State Street and 1300 East, even minor crashes can cause major traffic jams. Fortunately, however, there have been few problems in the area thus far, Carrillo said.

Safety, he said, remains the top concern for transportation officials.

"The safety of our workers is always a concern," Carrillo said. "But in this construction zone, most of the workers are actually out of the way. Most of the concern is for the commuters themselves."

UDOT plans to complete the current construction phase, which will open newly paved lanes on eastbound I-80, by mid-December, Carrillo said. Construction, however, is not expected to wrap up until fall 2009.

How long the Highway Patrol will continue to focus specifically on the construction zone will be up to UDOT, Roden said.

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