More Accidents In Interstate 80 Project Bring Concern For Memorial Day Weekend

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — New numbers are emerging on just how many drivers have crashed along a major construction zone on Interstate 80.

Since the start of the year, there have been 97 crashes along the westbound stretch, at a rate of nearly 20 accidents a month.

The work along I-80 in Sacramento might be moving forward, but more and more, drivers aren't moving at all. Accidents are up along the 10-mile stretch of the Across The Top project.

It's a huge project that involves crews rebuilding and widening the freeway from the Sacramento-Yolo County line to Watt Avenue.

In the first month Caltrans reconfigured the westbound lanes back in July 2015, the California Highway Patrol responded to 41 collisions, compared to 18 during that same stretch in 2014.

Accidents reported in the first quarter of the year have doubled year over year. Since then it's only gotten worse, with 35 additional crashes in roughly two months.

Che CHP says officers are "constantly reviewing the Across The Top stretch of the interstate in order to identify possible hazards or situations that may make travel unsafe."

With one of the busiest travel weekends of the year about to begin, the CHP has a warning for out-of-town drivers. Even though the speed limit has been reduced to 55 in the area, the safe speed in some areas may actually be less.

The common theme of accidents involves distracted drivers going way too fast through the construction zone.