New technology allows the Colorado Department of Transportation to detect when a vehicle illegally enters and exits express lanes and violators will begin receiving fines Thursday.
The Colorado Department of Transportation installed sensors and roadside cameras on the Interstate 25 North corridor between Berthoud and Fort Collins to detect when a vehicle enters and exits express lanes in an effort to improve safety, according to a .
Weaving in and out of express lanes is dangerous and increases the risks of car crashes because of the significant differences in speeds between express lane and general purpose lane drivers, according to the press release.
“We’re seeing very positive results from this technology,” CDOT spokesperson Tim Hoover stated in the press release. “In corridors where itap already in place, violations have dropped by over 90%, which translates to safer conditions and fewer crashes and close calls for everyone on the road.”
Drivers who enter and exit express lanes outside of the designated areas may receive a $75 fine in the mail, according to a CDOT press release.
If the fine isn’t paid within 20 days, it increases to $150, according to the press release. Fines are sent directly to the address that the vehicle is registered to, and the penalty can be paid online,, or via phone, 1-800-343-2633.
During the 30-day grace period that began April 7, the Colorado Department of Transportation issued 3,504 warnings to drivers who entered and exited express lanes on the Interstate 25 North corridor, according to the press release.
Express lanes are marked with dashed and solid lines, according to the press release, and drivers may only enter and exit express lanes when the dashed line is on the side closest to them.
“In other words, a dashed line on the side closest to you means you can cross, and a solid line on the side closest to you means you cannot,” the press release stated.
The fines are part of the , which is managed by the Colorado Transportation Investment Office, a business within CDOT.
Eventually, the program will apply to all express lane corridors in the state, but the currently enforced areas are on the I-70 Mountain corridor between Idaho Springs and Empire, C-470 between I-25 and Wadsworth Boulevard, I-25 between US 36 and E-470, I-70 between I-25 and Chambers Road, and I-25 between Monument and Castle Rock, according to the . Enforcement began in .
For more information on Colorado’s express lanes and a video on how to detect when itap OK to enter and exit, visit .
