TACOMA, Wash. — Those traveling on a stretch of I-5 south from Portland Avenue East and South 56th Street in Tacoma will see a large presence from state troopers for the next two days.
Statistics show the two-mile stretch of I-5, especially northbound, has one of the highest collision rates in the area. Last year, there were 177 collisions during the weekday morning commute there during a two-month period.
Many say it’s because of the construction. WSDOT is in the middle of a three-year project. Crews have been have been widening a section by the Tacoma Dome for months. Drivers have complained about some of the lanes not being clear and the routing of the lanes being changed.
Since then, there's been a 62 percent increase in the number of collisions.
Crash statistics before the construction started, back in 2013, shows there were only 109 crashes.
When KIRO 7 asked the DOT about the number, they said the problem was not with the construction, but with drivers being inattentive and driving too fast in a construction zone.
The State Patrol’s High Visibility Enforcement effort is to ensure drivers are going the speed limit and driving safely.
The emphasis runs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Wednesday and between noon and 4 p.m. Thursday.