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Slow down or face a ticket in I-75 construction zones

Construction zones on I-75, including the Austin Boulevard interchange, have been target enforcement areas for the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Staff photo by Ty Greenlees Construction zones on I-75, including the Austin Boulevard interchange, have been target enforcement areas for the Ohio Highway Patrol.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Photos: Cops target construction zones

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More people are being cited for speeding and crashes in the Interstate 75 construction zones, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

Staff photo by Ty Greenlees More people are being cited for speeding and crashes in the Interstate 75 construction zones, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.

By Kristin McAllister, Staff Writer Updated 10:49 PM Wednesday, September 9, 2009

State highway Patrol officers say work zone speed violations and crashes along Interstate 75 have significantly jumped where construction projects under way in both directions span miles along the highway.

“Particularly at the Austin Pike Interchange,” said Sgt. Chris Colbert, Dayton Patrol Post. “Troopers are targeting that area as much as we can to try to slow people down, to be visible and provide some proactive enforcement.”

Further south, between Ohio 73 and Ohio 63, the Highway Patrol’s Lebanon Post is running into the same issues, only the problem is further compounded where sections are blocked from patrol on both sides by concrete barriers.

“We have seen a severe increase in crashes out there,” said Sgt. Stan Jordan of the Lebanon Post. “Where the speed limit is dropped in those construction zones, there’s walls on both sides and just no where to go. It’s very tight, and we’re getting a lot of chain reaction crashes in there.”

State Highway Patrol data show no construction zone crashes in 2008 for the orange barrel laden section of I-75, from Ohio 73, north to Interstate 675, but 21 crashes to date this year in those same work zones.

Both Jordan and Colbert stressed that the motivation for being highly visible and issuing speeding citations is not to write as many tickets as possible, but to remind motorists to drive at marked speeds, pay keen attention and allow at least two to three seconds of stopping distance.

“If something happens inside those walled-in areas and somebody touches off a crash, you could quickly see that turn into four or five crashes,” Jordan said.

He said Highway Patrol and Ohio Department of Transportation officials will be meeting within two weeks to address concerns about the concrete barrier areas and come up with steps to make things safer.

Fortunately, both Jordan and Colbert said the majority of accidents have resulted in minor injuries. Still, the idea is to have no crashes and injuries, they said.

ODOT officials in districts 7 and 8 — Montgomery, and Warren and Butler counties, respectively — said they are not seeing a significant jump in crash reports uncommon for construction zones.

“We have not had one single complaint about the Austin Pike project. No negative comments at all,” said Denise Heitkamp, District 7 spokeswoman. “But most of our work is at night, when there is less of an impact to traffic and most of the lanes, open.”

Work on the $48 million project, which officials call the Austin Boulevard interchange, started in April and is slated to end Sept. 30, 2010. It is 25 percent complete.

To the south, where road widening is squeezing motorists into corral-type driving, two highway widening projects are stirring plenty of dirt, mostly due to construction trucks traveling alongside or entering or exiting the highway.

And despite the dirt, delays and tight lanes, the district has not received complaints about the project, said Liz Lyons, District 8 spokeswoman.

“We do get some complaints and calls, but a lot of people realize, this is keeping a lot of people employed and, eventually, it will be much better, much wider and with new pavement,” Lyons said.

Those projects between Ohio 63 and 73 are slated for completion at the end of summer 2011, Lyons said.

All in all, Colbert said that while drivers aren’t happy about getting a citation, most understand the reason and need for heavier patrols in construction sites.

In fact, he said additional patrols have been set up at construction hot spots, particularly where workers are on foot.

“With increased visibility, we hope to slow people down,” Colbert said. “Those troopers are not being paid by taxpayers, but by the construction companies.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or kmcallister@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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