BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. — Five police agencies will work Wednesday and Thursday on a busy stretch of Interstate 64 in Cabell County to enforce the 55 mph work zone speed limit.
DOH spokesman Randy Damron said there have been 37 wrecks in the five-mile work zone between 29th Street in Huntington and the Huntington Mall since the first of the year.
“Speed and distractions are the biggest problems. We have to do something to try and slow people down,” Damron told MetroNews.
Police officers will be lining the highway and writing tickets. Damron said those obeying the speed limit won’t have to worry.
“If you pay attention to the signage it will tell exactly what you are to do as a driver. When it says 55 you need to pay attention, slow down and pay attention to your surroundings because road conditions can change,” Damron said.
The DOH hopes to use Wednesday and Thursday’s efforts as a model for work zone speed enforcement across the state, Damron said.
“We’re going to take this concept around the state at various work zones since we have so many going on,” he said.
The DOH said there were 800 crashes in West Virginia work zones 2022, killing eight people and injuring 276. The agency said almost all of the crashes were avoidable.
Damron said the people that are being injured in work zones are drivers and passengers.
“The majority of the crashes it’s the drivers who are the ones that are injured. Again, just pay attention in the work zones,” he said.