I-Team: NCDOT asks police for help in construction zones

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) -- Officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation confirmed Friday a request to the Highway Patrol for a more robust presence along the Durham Freeway in Durham County.

The request, officially submitted earlier this week, is specifically geared toward cracking down on speeding through the construction zone on Highway 147 between the T.W. Alexander Drive and Briggs Avenue exits. The corridor, used by some 64,000 vehicles every day, has been narrowed slightly and rerouted to accommodate crews working on the East End Connector project.

"They're temporary lanes, so there's a little bump when you go from the current lanes to the new lanes," NCDOT Steve Abbott spokesman explained to ABC11. "Drivers have to slow down. If people are speeding, the only way to stop them is to pull them over and give them tickets."

In North Carolina, violations in construction zones automatically apply a $250 fine on top of other assigned penalties and points.

When completed, the East End Connector project will directly link the Durham Freeway and Miami Boulevard (U.S. 70), while also providing improved access to I-85 and I-40. The project is expected to be completed in 2020.