WSDOT to use speed camera on Snoqualmie Pass
Sep 10, 2012, 7:21 AM | Updated: 12:20 pm
The Washington State Department of Transportation project will build five miles of wider, safer and more reliable highway for east-west travelers on I-90. (WSDOT Flickr)
(WSDOT Flickr)
Beware skiers and Washington State football fans, the state Department of Transportation will soon enlist an automated camera to catch construction zone speeders on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass.
The new camera goes into effect beginning Monday, Sept. 17, in an attempt to slow drivers and improve safety.
“Hopefully we get people to slow down through that area. It’s a 60 mile per hour work zone and we’re noticing people are in the 70 – 75 mile per hour range,” explained Alice Fiman, spokesperson with the WSDOT.
WSDOT says drivers through the five-mile-long work zone of the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East – Hyak to Keechelus Dam project, will see signs warning “Speed limit photo enforced.”
“You will have plenty of notice that you’ll be entering the area where the cameras are working,” said Fiman.
A small sport utility vehicle parked near the highway will monitor speeds both eastbound and westbound and a camera will capture the rear license plates of speeding vehicles. Drivers could face a $137 citation.
It’s part of a pilot program approved by the Washington State Legislature to improve safety in construction zones.
When winter weather hits and construction moves off the I-90 roadway, WSDOT will move the program to another location. In 2008 and 2009, the cameras were used in two work zones on I-5 south of Olympia, and they helped reduce speeds in both areas, according to WSDOT.
Washington State Patrol troopers will also continue traditional speed enforcement in the work zone. The fine for a speeding citation issued by a police officer can exceed $400.
