Drivers may want to slow down on Interstate 35E between Denton County and North Dallas.
Police and state troopers say they have been increasing their presence in the 35Express construction zone that spans about 30 miles between Highway 380 and Interstate 635.
Leaders with the project began an aggressive campaign for safety earlier this year by lowering the speed limits in parts of the zone and adding deterrents like radar signs and signage to the stretch.
Trooper Lonny Haschel with the Texas Department of Public Safety says those efforts have even increased more since October as his agency and local police in the area have been working to cut down on the almost daily accidents that back up traffic for hours at times.
"We've had some crashes here in the past week,” said Haschel. "One just the other day that was an hour backup."
The safety message also comes as holiday travelers will soon be passing through the stretch.
Haschel said they want to make sure workers are safe to get construction there done, and drivers are staying observant for their own safety as well, with the ever changing traffic patterns in the zone.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
"People around here know they may go out to dinner, and when they come back from dinner the road they took is gone because it's under construction, so distractions are a huge, huge thing to remove from driving,” he said.
Drivers like North Central Texas Community College student Kaela Works said the increased presence has been very noticeable as officers can often be found at roadside checking speeds in the Lake Cities area.
"If they're out there scaring people, that's good, so they aren't going buck wild at 100 miles per hour or things like that,” said Works.
The college freshman said she often finds herself taking the road at about five to 10 miles over the limit, but even then, other vehicles are passing her going much faster.
If safety isn’t enough reason to slow those drivers down, the potential ticket might be.
Haschel said the entire 30 mile construction stretch is considered a work zone, meaning officers can, and will write tickets for double the normal fine amount there.
The 35Experess project is expected to last until about mid-2017.
