Automated speeding tickets will be sent to violators in one Del construction zone: what you need to know

NEWARK, Del. - Get ready to spend more money if you drive over the speed limit on one New Castle County highway. The work zone is the I-95 896 interchange.

AUTOMATED SPEEDING TICKETS IN WORK ZONE

"This is automated enforcement. If you’re going too fast, you’re going to get a ticket," Mark Luszcz, with the Delaware Department of Transportation, stated. He says it’s their way of keeping drivers and road workers safe in the work zone.

"We have been in a warning period since July 8th and, as you said, we’ll be going to actual fines and violations that’ll go out for any drivers going 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit of 55 mph," he continued.

It goes into effect July 30th.

"Safety is our only motivating factor for implementing this electronic safety speed program," Luszcz explained. "We’ve seen a serious uptick in crashes since construction started and speeding is related to some of that uptick."

HOW BIG IS THE FINE?

"If a driver is going 11 mph over the speed limit, meaning 66 mph in a 55 mph speed zone, starting next Tuesday, $118 if the fine for the first violation. Second and subsequent violations go up to $166."

That’s just an example. If you’re driving faster, the fine could be calculated even higher, depending on your speed.

"We don’t want to give out any tickets. We want people to reduce speeds and to safely drive through our work zones," Luszcz said.

The work zones include where narrowed lanes and more barricades are along the shoulder of the roads leading to Maryland. For perspective, officials say at the beginning of the speed warning period, there were at least 18,000 drivers that would have gotten a fine for their high speeds.

DRIVERS REACT

"I’ve been through that area and I know people tend to treat it like Dover Downs," Robert Gerard said. "Just zipping through. I suppose it’s a good thing if people won’t voluntarily slow down in a construction zone."

Others agree.

"You gotta be responsible all the time because you never know what could happen on the road," one woman said.

Another man added, "If you do the speed limit, you’re alright."

This runs through the end of the project in early 2026. More information can be found at the DelDOT website.