The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will be deploying Automated Work Zone Speed Control (AWZSC) mobile equipment on I-84 in Newtown early next week. First Selectman Bruce Walczak has received a letter dated June 18 informing him of the approaching operation.

A letter from Christopher G. Angelotti, P.E., construction division chief of CTDOT’s Bureau of Engineering and Construction Division of Construction Operations, said the equipment will be operating on the interstate “while CTDOT performs various maintenance operations along the roadway.”

The deployment of the equipment will start the week of June 22. It is expected to remain in place for approximately two weeks while crews are conducting roadway maintenance. The schedule may be adjusted due to weather or other operational needs, Angelotti also noted.

The system will begin issuing warnings to vehicles traveling 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit starting in late June. Citations and monetary fines will begin on or after July 5, also according to the letter from Angelotti.

According to CTDOT’s website, the system identifies approaching vehicles traveling 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit and triggers the cameras. A series of pictures are taken of the vehicle as it approaches and passes the speed safety camera. Data including the images, time, date, posted speed limit, vehicle speed, location, lane and direction of travel is collected.

The data is reviewed by systems and sworn police officers to determine if a violation occurred. A warning or infraction is then mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

Signs are posted at approximately 1,000 and 500 feet in advance of the automated work zone speed control area.

The equipment is operated by CTDOT’s vendor, Acusensus. According to CTDOT, the automated work zone speed control system is required by law to be recalibrated and recertified annually. A third-party company performs those activities.

A speed safety system operator completes and signs a daily log for the system documenting that the operator successfully performed, and the system passed, the testing specified by the manufacturer of the system. The registered owner of a vehicle observed speeding in a work zone is liable for any citations issued under this program related to their vehicle. Communication from the program will be delivered via traditional mail to the address of the vehicle’s registered owner. Vehicle owners will not receive emails, texts, or contact on their cell phone. A note on the CTDOT website cautions people against potential scams, saying "CTDOT does not solicit funds via text for parking or speeding violations. Any text messages claiming you owe money for traffic violations, especially those containing links, are scams. Do not click the link or enter personal info."

Fines can be paid online or through traditional mail. The address for both options will be included with the Notice of Liability.

A citation will be mailed to the registered owner of a vehicle photographed by the AWZSC cameras within 30 days of committing the violation or 30 days after the registered owner of the vehicle is identified, whichever is later. For vehicles registered outside of Connecticut, citations will be mailed within 30 days after the owner is identified.

The penalties for vehicle owners are as follows: first offense, written warning with no fine; second offense, Notice of Liability with a $75 fine.

If the vehicle is traveling at a speed of 85 miles per hour or greater, however, the registered owner of the vehicle will receive a Notice of Liability with a $75 fine regardless of first or subsequent offense status.

Any subsequent violation occurring more than one year after the most recent violation shall be considered a first violation.

AWZSC Background, Additional Details

Development of the AWZSC project took place between October and December 2025. Since October, limited initial deployments and data collection has been done; system enhancements have concurrently taken place since December.

June 1, 2026 marked a warning period of limited deployments and enhancements, while full systems operations and maintenance also began, according to CTDOT’s website.

Full equipment deployments are scheduled to begin on July 6, and will be supported by the full system operations and maintenance. The end date for the full equipment deployment, operations, and maintenance is to be determined.

In December 2026, year-end performance reporting will begin. That work will continue until February 2027.

Fines collected as part of the program will be deposited into the Special Transportation Fund and used to cover expenditures related to the program. If no additional spending related to the program is required, excess revenue will be used for other transportation safety purposes.

CTDOT says personal information and data privacy are protected with Yes. Only images of vehicles traveling 10 mph or greater than the posted work zone speed limit are taken and stored. If images containing occupants are captured, the occupants will automatically be removed or obscured from any stored images.

Additionally, any personally identifiable information captured is not deemed a public record, for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act, as defined in Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 1-200, such information shall only be kept for the purposes of enforcing the fines imposed by Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 241 Sec. 13a-263.

For more information about the program, visit portal.ct.gov/knowthezone.