12 states partner for the “Highway 20 Speed Enforcement Project”

Joe Lyons • July 17, 2023

COLUMBUS – On Thursday, July 13, troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol joined our law enforcement partners across the country as part of the ongoing “Highway 20 Speed Enforcement Project.”

The “Highway 20 Speed Enforcement Project,” started by the Iowa State Patrol, has grown into a nationwide effort among state police, state highway patrol and local police agencies to promote traffic safety and reduce crashes across the 12 states that U.S. 20 runs through.

U.S. 20 spans nearly the length of the country from west to east, running from Newport, Ore. to Boston. In 1989, U.S. 20 was determined to be 3,365 miles long, making it the longest highway in the country, and as of 2020 various projects have slightly shortened its length.

The “Highway 20 Speed Enforcement Project” is a bimonthly collaborative effort, taking place on a select day with a two-hour initiative in the morning and a two-hour initiative in the evening. During this past Thursday’s initiative, 93 officers across the country made 691 contacts with the motoring public. Of those, 389 resulted in citations, 295 warnings were given and seven motorists were assisted. “The goal of the project is simple,” said Sergeant Ryan E. Purpura, spokesperson for the Patrol. “Our troopers and law enforcement partners from across the country want to make U.S. 20 as safe as possible for those traveling on it by reducing speed-related crashes. Driving over the posted limit is a choice, a choice that could cost your life or the life of someone else.”

Specifically, in Ohio, U.S. 20 covers 259 miles, crossing through the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Findlay, Bucyrus, Cleveland and Warren districts. Over the course of the project in 2023, 117 troopers from nine posts issued 290 citations, 181 warnings and assisted 29 motorists, furthering the spirit of the overall project not only in Ohio, but across the entire length of U.S. 20.

The public is encouraged to call #677 in Ohio or 911 to report drug activity, and dangerous or impaired drivers.

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