Thurston County drivers who speed through highway work zones on their daily I-5 commute will start paying fines on Wednesday, July 1.

The Washington State Department of Transportation's work zone speed cameras now carry a $125 penalty for first-time violations, ending a grace period during which more than 85,000 infractions were issued statewide with no monetary consequence. A second or subsequent violation costs $248.

The cameras first deployed on I-5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the stretch thousands of Olympia and Tumwater residents drive daily to reach jobs in Pierce County and beyond. Before cameras arrived at that site, more than 60 per cent of drivers were speeding through the work zone. Enforcement dropped that rate to as low as 30 per cent, according to WSDOT.

Washington averaged 1,345 work zone crashes per year from 2020 to 2025, and recorded more than 1,500 in 2025 alone.

Trailer-mounted cameras photograph speeding vehicles and license plates when workers are present. They do not capture drivers' faces. The Washington State Patrol reviews images and mails infractions to registered vehicle owners within 30 days. Signs alert drivers before they enter a camera zone.

The infractions are classified as non-moving violations. They do not affect driving records or insurance rates. Unpaid fines, however, get added to vehicle registration renewals.

Of the 85,000-plus infractions issued since April 2025, more than 77,000 went to first-time violators who paid nothing under the grace period. WSDOT has deployed cameras more than 900 times at roughly 50 job sites statewide.

The program currently operates six cameras. WSDOT communications officer Amy Moreno confirmed that number will grow to 10 by July 2026, with a goal of 15 by 2027. Plans include expansion to eastern Washington.

WSDOT pays camera vendor Elovate a flat $217,000 monthly for administrative costs, plus $950 per deployment. No extra payment is tied to the number of tickets issued. In its first year, WSDOT spent $4.3 million on the program. The Legislature allocated $7.5 million for the Washington State Patrol and $10.6 million for WSDOT from July 2025 to July 2027 to run it.

The state's 2025 transportation budget counts on $138 million in camera revenue over six years to fund the program, drunk driving patrols, and other safety initiatives.

Washington Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith urged drivers to change behavior: "Slow down when you see a work zone — for your safety and for every person trying to do their job taking care of our roads."

The program is set to expire in 2030 unless the Legislature extends it. Separately, HB 1878, passed in 2025, requires initial driver's license applicants under age 25 to complete an online work zone safety course starting May 1, 2026.

Drivers can pay, review, or contest fines online at waworkzonespeedcameras.gov, by phone, or by mail. Appeals go to the state Office of Administrative Hearings, where drivers can submit documentation or testify by phone.