Watch your speed: Troopers ready to catch speeders, hand out tickets when I-4 Express opens

ORLANDO, Fla. — When officials remove the “road closed” signs along the I-4 express lanes at 10 a.m. Saturday, troopers will be ready to catch speeders and hand out tickets.

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It’s no secret people speed big time on I-4.

In recent weeks, law enforcement has stepped up patrols, stopping hundreds of drivers for speeding. Some drivers were even going more than 100 mph.

With the I-4 express lanes set to open, officers, deputies and troopers know what could come their way.

“Those drivers that tend to drive aggressive and fast will use this as an opportunity to do that,” said Lt. Kim Montes.

READ: I-4 express lanes: What you need to know ahead of this weekend

The I-4 express lanes have the same speed limit as the mainline, but Montes knows some people will think that the fast lanes mean faster speeds.

“We’re going to be hitting it hard with laser, with radar, with just troopers driving through there to make sure drivers are doing the right thing,” Montes said.

If you do find flashing lights behind you, Montes says: “try and pull to the right side, that shoulder is a wider shoulder. The left side is a smaller, thinner, narrow shoulder.”

READ: I-4 Express: Stickers along lanes display critical information in case of emergency situations

First responders have been trained on how to access the express lanes using the gates in case of an emergency. Those will not be used for traffic enforcement.

“We don’t want people to look over in the mainline see a trooper there and think that they can’t be stopped. There’s other ways around doing that. And that’s why we all have police radios,” Montes said.

So someone else will stop you ahead.

Another thing Montes is stressing to drivers: “Don’t back up. Don’t stop,” she said.

READ: I-4 Express: FDOT expects interstate to be busier than usual while express lanes are free of charge

If you accidently get onto the express lanes and you didn’t mean to, you have to keep going. It’s dangerous to do anything else like hitting the brakes.

“We’ve had quite a few crashes and fatalities from people missing their exits before doing that. And that’s one thing that we don’t want drivers who accidentally get in there to do,” Montes said.

Video: I-4 Express lanes to be free of charge for first 5 days (Alexa Lorenzo, WFTV.com)

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