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CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NEWS RELEASE
2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546
NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546 |
| FOR RELEASE: October 31, 2013 |
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062
FAX: (860) 594-3065
WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot |
Operation Big Orange Nets Big Results – Work Zone Safety Enforcement Program Helps Keep Roadway Workers Safe and Dangerous Motorists in Check
The Connecticut Department of Transportation’s I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program in partnership with the Connecticut State Police are announcing results from “Operation Big Orange” traffic law enforcement efforts that commenced after the Labor Day holiday. Several hundred citations were issued during the effort.
Operation Big Orange is an enforcement program with the Connecticut State Police partnering with construction and maintenance crews in and around work zones to enforce traffic laws to help protect roadway workers and to deter irresponsible motorist behavior.
The Connecticut State Police were assigned to Operation Big Orange in the I-95 New Haven Corridor for three weeks following the Labor Day holiday. During that time, there were a total of 161 charges for speeding, 20 for unsafe lane changes, 4 for following too closely, 27 for failure to obey the "Move Over" law, along with a total of 198 other charges for seatbelt violations, suspended licenses, unregistered motor vehicles, as well as cell phone and texting violations.
“Every year we see one too many close calls for our workers in work zones,” said DOT's Brian Mercure, manager of the I-95 corridor program. “We need the public to remember that safety should be top priority when driving, particularly in our work zones. We appreciate and thank the Connecticut State Police for their continued partnership and diligence in helping to get that message across – safety first in work zones! Slow it down and pay attention so our crews can go home safely at the end of the day.”
“The Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Department of Transportation are pleased to work collaboratively to ensure Connecticut highways are safe for commuters, commercial drivers conducting business on our roadways, and the work crews that strive tirelessly to both maintain and improve our roads. Violations that pose a risk to the safety of these workers will not be tolerated and will be strictly enforced. The well-being of those who preserve our roadways is of paramount concern to the Connecticut State Police, and we ask the members of the public to aid us in the promotion of their safety," said Colonel Danny Stebbins of the Connecticut State Police.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation, Connecticut State Police and local enforcement agencies encourage motorists to follow the Courteous Driving Guidelines found on the program’s website here.