Speed enforcement begins soon along stretch of I-25 in Northern Colorado
For the first time in Colorado history, speed enforcement cameras will begin issuing citations along a major interstate.
The Colorado Department of Transportation announced Northern Colorado will be home to the first speed cameras along I-25, with a 30-day warning period beginning March 1.
The speed cameras have already been installed along the work zone between Berthoud and Mead, just south of Loveland. While the cameras are installed and functional, enforcement will not begin until the beginning of March.
"In this work zone in particular, we have noticed high rates of speed," said Stacia Sellers, spokesperson for CDOT.
The cameras are CDOT's second set, with the first currently operating along CO 119, the diagonal highway between Longmont and Boulder. The new cameras on I-25 are enforcing speed limits in both directions.
While the cameras are not issuing warnings or citations at the time of this publication, Sellers said they are already returning speed data to CDOT for observation.
"They are not operational yet, but we have signage in place. And, we have already noticed a 10% reduction in speeds along the work zone," Sellers said.
Sellers said, prior to the cameras being installed, a significant number of drivers were clocked going more than 25 miles per hour over the speed limit through that work zone.
"Honestly, it seems like speed limit signs are just a recommendation," said Dakota Rettey, a driver in Northern Colorado.
Rettey said it can be frustrating to drive along the interstate in Northern Colorado, noting that those who go the speed limit are often judged for doing so.
"It's a huge problem. There are so many people trying to drive the speed limit, but you can't because you are just getting tailed or zoomed by. It is a huge safety concern," Rettey said. "It's a hard thing to enforce."
Following a 30-day warning window, CDOT plans to issue $75 tickets to those who speed through the work zone. However, citations will not result in any points being removed from a license.
"The speed enforcement program is not a way to punish motorists, it is a way to protect the lives of people who are driving on I-25 as well as the lives of people working of those who are working in that work zone on I-25," Sellers said.
