The Colorado Department of Transportation announced on Mar. 19 that drivers exceeding the speed limit in the Interstate 25 North Express Lanes work zone between Mead and Berthoud will face $75 civil penalties starting April 2.
The new enforcement aims to reduce crashes and improve safety for motorists, workers, law enforcement, and other road users along this busy corridor. The program follows a warning period that began March 1, during which more than 4,000 warnings were issued. Since then, excessive speeds in the area have dropped by 90%.
Keith Stefanik, chief engineer at CDOT, said: “The goal isn’t to punish drivers; it’s to prevent crashes before they happen. Speeding continues to be a contributing factor to crashes and fatalities in Colorado. Safer speeds save lives — it’s that simple.”
Preliminary data shows there were nine work zone fatalities statewide in 2025—a significant decrease from thirty recorded in the previous year—while injuries from work zone crashes also fell nearly eight percent compared with last year. Despite these risks, seventy percent of Coloradans admitted to speeding on highways according to a recent CDOT survey.
The I-25 North corridor is now the second active area for camera-based speed enforcement under state law passed in 2023. The first was Colorado Highway 119 between Boulder and Longmont (Diagonal Highway), where excessive speeding declined by over eighty percent since penalties began last July. In late January, eight cameras were installed along I-25 North where new Express Lanes are being built; clear signage warns drivers at least three hundred feet ahead of each camera location.
Drivers who receive fines will have forty-five days either to pay or appeal their notice once civil penalties take effect on April 2. Revenue collected primarily funds the Speed Enforcement Program itself; any surplus supports infrastructure improvements through the Vulnerable Road User Protection Fund.
According to the official website, the Colorado Department of Transportation works to improve quality of life through integrated transportation solutions across Colorado while delivering effective multi-modal systems for people and goods movement statewide. Shoshana Lew serves as executive director for CDOT according to its official website. The department oversees transportation infrastructure including interstates and highways as outlined on its official website.
