The Minnesota Department of Transportation is testing work zone speed cameras to boost highway safety on I-35W and Highway 65.
The system will photograph license plates of vehicles traveling 10 mph or more over the posted limit and send a warning to drivers in the mail rather than issuing citations. People entering these two work zones will see orange signs alerting them when the speed safety camera systems are in use and capturing images of drivers violating the speed limit.
Road crews have voiced strong support for the cameras saying that previous close calls have showed them extra safety protections are critical.
"A fully loaded semi struck the back of my vehicle at highway speed on a 70 mile per hour road," MnDOT crew leader Nick Hale explains. "The impact shoved my truck approximately 300 feet forward, nearly into the back of the patch wagon. I could spend hours talking about crashes and close call that MnDOT employees experience, but this changed my perspective forever."
State officials may choose to expand the program into two additional work zones in 2027 and 2028 if it proves successful. The goal is to try to change driver behavior on high-risk stretches of highway.
The State Patrol's Lt. Jennifer Krier says this is in response to more than 11,000 crashes and 22 fatal speed-related incidents in Minnesota work zones since 2021. Speeding contributed to 38% of all work zone fatalities, and 31% of the work zone crashes that involve speeding are fatal or cause injury.
"We continue to see too many drivers speeding through work zones, following too closely and driving distracted," Krier adds. "Those choices put road workers, other drivers, passengers, and emergency responders at risk."
No fines will be issued as part of the project. Public feedback gathered throughout the test period will help determine how effective the system has been.
“Everyone deserves to get home safely each day,” said MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger. “Speeding in work zones is the top safety concern we hear from the people who work on our roads. These camera systems, which have been used in other states, offer another tool that may help improve safety for everyone who works in, and travels through, the limited space within work zones.”
MnDOT says it hopes to have the cameras in place by the end of the month.
Work zones include:
- I-35W in Burnsville, beginning in July 2026
- Hwy 65 near Braham, in summer or fall 2026
- Up to two other work zones through 2028
