Sgt. Gerald Cutler of the N.C. Highway Patrol said troopers would pay special attention to the construction zone near the I-85 and U.S. 70 interchange in Durham.
Troopers implemented the crackdown at the beginning of July to try to prevent wrecks and the traffic jams wrecks can cause.
"It's incredible the amount of traffic that comes to a standstill whenever there's a collision out there," Cutler said.
In June, a deadly wreck involving a tractor-trailer backed up traffic for more than five miles.
To reduce the potential for such hazards, troopers said they would work with the Durham County Sheriff's Office and the Durham Police Department to specifically target speeding. Drivers caught speeding face a $250 fine.
"If it's open, they'll run 85 or 90 miles an hour," Cutler said. "It's not uncommon for us to stop cars going at those high rates of speed in the work zone where the speed limit is 55, sometimes 45."
Though the crackdown has already started, troopers said the crackdown would go into full force in the next couple of weeks.
"It's not so much trying to stop cars," Cutler said, "as it is just trying to get folks to slow down."
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
