Fines from Work Zone Speed Cameras Are Coming to the Tri-Cities Next

If you drive through construction zones in the Tri-Cities or Yakima area, work zone speed cameras are expanding into eastern Washington.

Washington State is warning that the work zone cameras are coming to this region after writing tickets on the west side of the state.

The program has been active since spring 2025, and it is now headed our way.

What Happened to Work Zone Safety in Washington

The numbers behind this program tell an uncomfortable story. Work zone crashes in Washington have been climbing for years, from 1,149 in 2020 all the way to 1,682 in 2024 before dropping slightly to 1,557 in 2025. The number of fatal work zone crashes actually increased from five in 2024 to nine in 2025.

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Nearly 95% of people injured in work zone crashes are not the road workers, but are drivers, passengers, and nearby pedestrians. Data says the top three causes of all these crashes are following too closely, excessive speed, and distracted driving. The sad thing is that every single one of those is completely preventable.

How the Work Zone Cameras Actually Work

The trailers use LiDAR technology, the same laser-based detection system used in self-driving vehicles to measure the speed of multiple vehicles across several lanes simultaneously. Police use the same technology to measure vehicles for speeding tickets, except it is used differently. With work zone cameras, the LiDAR technology is used to signal the cameras.

When a vehicle is caught speeding through an active work zone with workers present, the system photographs the vehicle and license plate. A WSP trooper reviews every single image and decides whether to issue a notice of infraction. If they do, it gets mailed to the registered owner within 30 days.

Cameras are only active when workers are physically present in the work zone. Signs warn drivers before they enter an enforcement zone.

What a Work Zone Speeding Ticket Will Cost You

Before July 1, the first infraction was free, basically a warning, but the second infraction would cost you $248. Now that it is past July 1, 2026, the legislature changed the first infraction to $125 with no warning. There is no more free pass for the first offense.

The second infraction and every one after that stays at $248.

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