Hozhead

There seem to be a lot of problems with people speeding in construction zones and ignoring road/bridge closure signs in Nampa lately and the police are warning people to start paying attention and obeying the law in order to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities.

http://idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs....0114/604300330

Sandra Forester
Idaho Statesman
Edition Date: 04-30-2006

Many drivers in the Nampa area are speeding through construction zones or ignoring signs and flaggers, according to transportation officials and police.

"The biggest problem is people driving too fast," said Ryan Ward, Karcher Interchange project manager for Central Paving. "When they do, they don't have time to react to changing road conditions and patterns."

Ward, the Nampa Police Department and the Idaho Transportation Department are warning drivers to slow down, put some space between their cars and the next vehicles, and be aware of road signs because construction season is kicking into high gear with the good weather.

About 80 percent of the traffic fatalities occurring in highway work zones involve drivers and passengers ? not construction workers, said Eric Shannon, an ITD engineer.

So far only minor fender-bender accidents have been reported along Garrity Boulevard, and flaggers have called officers about drivers who disobey them or the road signs, said Cpl. Earl Lindauer of the Nampa Police Department.

"Beware of the workers. If we receive those complaints and we have a license plate, we will follow up," he said.

Lindauer reminds drivers that fines for speeding go up in construction zones from about $62 to $91.50.

In a highway work zone, they increase from $53 to $82.50, according to ITD.

Drivers also have been ignoring the "bridge closed" signs at Karcher Road and Interstate 84, and police will ticket people they see driving around the barriers, transportation officials said.

"We want to minimize the impacts of traffic to complete the project as soon as we can," said Jon Whipple, Karcher project engineer for Idaho Transportation Department.

The Karcher Interchange project covers a large area from south of Cherry Lane and Midland Boulevard to below Karcher Road and Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard.

The interchange project is a little more than halfway completed and on track to open in late November. It's one of three major road projects in the Nampa area.

1ce

Ya i ride threw that construction everyday to the airport and there will be people going 55mph and then others passing at 75mph....i've seen a lot of cops in that construction zone, so i always take it ez threw there.

Proeve

Nampa is hell right now to ride in,, I live off Orchard in between Midland and Middleton and all the traffic now goes down Nampa-Caldwell Boulevard which is where Orchard drops into, I am stuck right in the middle of it all. I wish they will get all this work done soon..

AlxandrtheGr8

yeah I have been out there a lot the last couple weeks IT DOES SUCK