Slow Down or Pay Up: speed cameras coming to Kentucky work zones this Fall

New speed enforcement cameras will soon monitor active work zones across Kentucky — aiming to reduce crashes and protect both drivers and road crews. Tickets will only be issued in person by officers stationed beyond the zone

FRANKFORT  Big changes are coming to Kentucky’s highway work zones as the state launches a new safety initiative aimed at protecting both drivers and road crews.

This fall, automated speed enforcement cameras will begin appearing in active construction zones across the Commonwealth. The program, backed by legislation signed into law earlier this year, is part of Kentucky’s push to reduce crashes and save lives.

Governor Andy Beshear says the cameras are about more than enforcement. He says it’s about safety.

“Speeding through work zones isn’t just reckless, it can be deadly,” the Governor said in a statement Tuesday from the State Transportation Cabinet.

Last year in Kentucky, there was more than 1,200 work zone crashes, resulted in seven deaths and nearly 300 injuries.

Transportation Secretary Jim Gray says slowing down in these zones protects everyone, from families on the road to the workers maintaining it. The cameras will capture speeding data, but tickets will only be issued in person by officers waiting beyond the zone. Fines can reach $500 when workers are present.

Work zones with camera enforcement will be clearly marked with signs and flashing lights to alert drivers.

The new law, House Bill 664, is named the Jared Lee Helton Act, honoring a highway worker killed in a work zone crash. Supporters say the law is a critical step toward safer roads.

Officials urge all drivers to stay alert and slow down. Because in every work zone, safety is a two-way street.

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