I-95, Highway 896 construction zone equipped with speed cameras near Newark

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

They are baaaack!

The electronic speed safety program – better known as speed cameras – will revisit Delaware's largest current infrastructure project: the I-95/Route 896 interchange south of Newark.

The safety program will begin July 8 and last until the project is completed, which is expected to end in October 2025, according to the Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Transportation.

“While fortunately there have been no accidents that injured workers, we continue to see too many accidents involving vehicles passing through the work zone,” Delaware Transportation Secretary Nicole Majeski said in a communicated. “The Electronic Speed Safety Program has been shown to reduce speed, reduce accidents and improve the safety of workers and everyone traveling in the region.”

The $279 million interchange project is currently the largest infrastructure project in the state, with hundreds of people working in the area.

Fines for people stopped by speed cameras

That's what motorists going faster than 55 mph will face if caught by speed cameras, according to DelDOT.

The first 21 days of the safety program will be a warning period.

After the warning period, owners of registered vehicles receiving a first violation will be fined $20. The fine is added more for each kilometer per hour above the posted speed limit in the work zone.

For example, if the motorist is caught going 66 mph, the speeding violation is $20, plus an additional $11 – one dollar for every mile over the posted speed limit of 55 mph in the work area. There will also be an assessment of other fees of $118.

Repeat offenses and subsequent offenses are more numerous. These violations constitute civil penalties only and no points will be assigned to the driver's license, DelDOT said.

Electronic speed safety program previously used on I-95

The state first used the safety program in 2022 following several crashes, including one fatality, on a stretch of I-95 under construction in Wilmington.

More: Wilmington Manor firefighter killed while trying to help driver after crash on I-95

This pilot program ran from January 2022 to November 2022 as part of the Restore the Corridor project. Data from this safety program showed a 46% decrease in total accidents and a 38% decrease in injury accidents compared to the same period in 2021, when construction work was also underway, said DelDOT.

Overall speeds in the construction zone decreased by more than 5 mph on average after the program began.

The enemies of radar

Although studies show the program helps reduce accidents, the program has critics because they have long been targets of vandals: cameras have been targeted, spray-painted and even knocked over.

When cameras were vandalized in Delaware in 2022, a DelDOT spokesperson said they replaced the cameras and gave them additional security.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or [email protected].

Fines for people stopped by speed cameras

Electronic speed safety program previously used on I-95

The enemies of radar

Lina Portman

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