NAMPA, Idaho — Several construction projects are underway on Interstate 84 where speed limits are lowered to 55 mph, and Idaho State Police are conducting extra patrols to keep drivers, construction workers, and officers safe.
I rode along with state troopers through construction sites in Nampa to see how these enhanced patrols work.
WATCH as Idaho News 6 rides along with Idaho State Police
Within minutes of starting our patrol (we hadn't even reached the 55 mph construction zone), Cpl. Jeff McConnell clocked a driver going 83 mph - almost 20 mph over the speed limit.
"Every day, just about, I'll be patrolling in this area," said McConnell. "We're conducting business as normal, especially with the work zone."
With no end in sight for all the road work on I-84, extra attention is required to keep the work zones safe.
"The transportation department also has some dedicated funding for enhanced and extra patrols. We can come in and work on a day off, and when we do that, we are specifically assigned to that construction zone," McConnell added.
For 2025, the Idaho Transportation Department has assigned $100,000 for additional speed patrols around construction zones within the Boise-Nampa-Caldwell area, and an additional $350,000 for the rest of the state.
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Idaho State Police reached out after a 19-year-old driver was pulled over going 100 mph through the 55 mph work zone.
"I have people complain to me roadside often. They're complaining about somebody doing 60 in the fast lane. I'm like, well, yeah, it's not considerate, and yeah, it's frustrating, but it's not dangerous. The only person it's dangerous to is somebody who's going well, well, well above the speed limit," McConnell said.
Data from ISP shows the fastest speed recorded through a construction site in Idaho was 117 mph.
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