INDOT’s Project Greenlight expands work zone safety enforcement and communications as construction risks remain high

New enforcement tools and long-standing safety rules converge in Indiana work zones

The Indiana Department of Transportation has moved forward with a new work zone safety push under the banner “Project Greenlight,” pairing expanded speed-control enforcement with broader safety messaging aimed at reducing crashes involving both motorists and highway workers. The initiative arrives as Indiana continues to report serious injuries and deaths tied to work zones, including incidents that occur in backups approaching construction areas.

INDOT work zone reporting shows that in 2023, 33 people were killed and more than 1,750 were injured in work zones on state projects. The agency also reports that over the past decade, 269 people have been killed in work zones or work zone backups. Those figures underscore a key reality documented repeatedly in traffic safety data: most people who die in work zones are drivers or passengers rather than road workers.

How the speed-control pilot works

A central element of the current effort is Indiana Safe Zones, a worksite speed control pilot program that allows automated systems to identify vehicles traveling 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit in designated work zones. The systems use speed detection technology and photograph rear license plates. Violations are only valid when workers are present, and notices are mailed to vehicle owners.

The pilot program was authorized by the Indiana General Assembly in 2023 through House Enrolled Act 1015, enacted July 1, 2023. INDOT has said the program can operate at up to four worksites at a time during the pilot period.

• Threshold for enforcement: 11 mph or more over the posted work-zone speed limit
• Notice method: mailed to the vehicle owner
• Worksite requirement: workers must be present for a violation to be valid

Expansion beyond Indianapolis-area corridors

After early use in the Clear Path I-465/I-69 construction zone near Indianapolis, INDOT announced broader expansion of automated work zone speed enforcement. The agency said the program would extend to Interstate 65 in Lake County beginning on or soon after July 7, 2025. INDOT also identified additional deployments planned for construction zones on I-70 in Hancock County and I-80/90 in Steuben County, reflecting a strategy to apply the tools on high-speed routes where lane shifts, merges and congestion frequently elevate crash risk.

Existing laws and crash patterns shape the safety strategy

Project Greenlight also builds on Indiana’s existing work zone enforcement framework. State law provides for elevated penalties for speeding and reckless driving in work zones, with higher sanctions when a worker is injured or killed. INDOT safety materials also highlight common work-zone crash factors cited by police, including following too closely, unsafe lane movement, driver inattention and unsafe speed.

Work zone risks often rise at merge points and in approaching queues, where rear-end crashes are common and traffic can stop quickly.

INDOT’s broader work zone approach includes advance warning and traveler information systems—such as message boards and real-time traffic updates—alongside enforcement and public education designed to reduce sudden braking, aggressive lane changes and distraction in and near active construction sites.