AASHTO Journal - WSDOT Adds More Highway Work Zone Speed Cameras

The Washington State Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol are expanding the number of highway work zones in and around the City of Spokane where they’ve deployed speed cameras.

[Above photo by WSDOT]

Those cameras are part of the Work Zone Speed Camera Program launched in April 2025, which started with one camera on I-5 south of Tacoma, expanded to six later by the end of 2025, and will increase to 10 by July of this year. The goal of the program is to reduce speeding in active road construction, maintenance, and emergency zones, WSDOT noted.

Now, a paving project on I-90 between State Route 904 and Geiger Road will be the first highway work zone in the Spokane area to be covered by speed cameras in its work zone.

In addition to more cameras, the program will now include fines for the first time. Beginning July 1, the fine for a first-time offense will be $125 with all subsequent infractions resulting in a $248 charge.

WSDOT said a WSP trooper reviews all speed camera images and data for every potential infraction. If a trooper determines a violation occurred, a notice of infraction is mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner within 30 days. The cameras only record speeding vehicles when work crews are present at a job site.

WSDOT noted that early data from work zones where the camera conducted frequent enforcement shows an overall reduction in speeding. For example, on I-5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, more than 60 percent of drivers were speeding through the work zone before cameras were deployed. The percentage dropped to as low as 30 percent during enforcement, the agency said.

“So far, about 10 percent of the infractions we see are repeat offenders,” noted Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste in a statement.

He added that the total number of work zone-related crashes in Washington State reached 1,559 in 2025; a slight decrease from 2024. Meanwhile, fatalities in work zone collisions increased – rising from seven in 2024 to nine in 2025, according to WSDOT crash data.

“Slow down when you see a work zone – for your safety and for every person trying to do their job taking care of our roads,” Julie Meredith, WSDOT secretary, explained. “Protect them the way you’d want someone to protect you and your loved ones.”