Washington unleashes first-ever work zone highway speed camera
Apr 16, 2025, 5:00 AM | Updated: 1:14 pm
A work zone speed camera. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
(Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
Drivers on I-5 through DuPont will now see a trailer-mounted camera on the shoulder at the Steilacoom-DuPont Road interchange work zone. It is the first work zone speed camera on Washington State’s highways. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is hopeful the camera will encourage drivers to slow down in work zones.
The location was chosen due to ongoing safety concerns for WSDOT contractors.
“Too many workers have been injured or killed, and statistics show drivers are not slowing down,” Julie Meredith, Secretary of Transportation, said. “This provides another tool to help ensure workers—and everyone on the roadway—come home safe at the end of the day.”
According to WSDOT, Washington has averaged 1,345 work zone crashes each year since 2020.
This has prompted enforcement with speed cameras using light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, to detect vehicles traveling faster than the posted speed limit. If a vehicle is traveling too fast, an image will be taken of the vehicle and license plate but not the driver. From there, the information is passed on to the Washington State Patrol (WSP), which will determine if a violation was committed.
What happens if drivers get a ticket from the speed camera?
Since this is a brand-new program, drivers caught traveling above the posted work zone speed limit will get one free pass. However, the second and any infraction after that will carry a $248 fine.
When someone receives a notice of infraction, they will be directed to the program’s website to acknowledge the incident. The vehicle’s registered owner must respond to the notice of infraction online or through the mail, even if it carries no financial penalty. The infractions are recorded as non-moving violations and do not affect driving records or insurance. Unpaid fines will be added to vehicle registration renewals.
Understandably, there will be drivers who may want to contest an infraction, and they are welcome to go through the appeals process.
The Washington Office of Administrative Hearings will oversee appeals for infractions. After filing an appeal, individuals can submit supporting evidence, such as photographs or other documents, for the judge to consider. Depending on the nature of the appeal, they will have either a brief adjudicative proceeding, which involves only documents, or a formal adjudicative hearing, where they can also provide testimony by phone to a judge.
Amy Moreno with WSDOT said this is a safety mechanism and not at all intended to issue tickets.
“We’re just hoping by getting everybody to reduce their speeds, (this) will hopefully save a few lives, and these cameras are just there to get people to slow down,” she said. “We would love it if we never issued a single infraction. There will be plenty of signs out there warning people. They will only enforce when there are active workers in the work zone. They will not be there enforcing when people are not working in the work zone.”
Money from infractions goes back to program, DUI enforcement
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The work zone speed camera enforcement will, undoubtedly, generate funds through infractions. So, where will the money go?
“The money generated from these cameras will actually go back into supporting the program, and any extra money goes to DUI enforcement and other safety programs for the Washington State Patrol,” Moreno said. “This program is about safety—trying to save lives for drivers and for those who work in our work zones.”
The plan is to have six more mobile cameras by summer, rotating them throughout busy work zones, including the one near the State Route 18/I-90 interchange and the I-405 Brickyard Project in Bothell.
“This program starts on Wednesday, but it’s going to go on for years to come,” Moreno explained. “The legislature has approved this for five years, and it could be re-approved down the line. We’re just asking people, if you see a work zone, please slow down—consider your own safety and the safety of the workers who are out there.”
Nate Connors is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Follow him on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.
