JUNIATA COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Pennsylvania State Police are ramping up enforcement efforts in highway work zones across several central Pennsylvania counties through “Operation Yellow Jacket.”
This initiative intends to target tailgating, speeding, and distracted driving, PennDOT announced. The effort will include Mifflin and Juniata counties.
In active work zones, troopers wearing hard hats and safety vests will monitor traffic for violations. When a trooper sees a violation, it will alert another trooper parked ahead to pull them over, PennDOT announced.
“Our goal is not to write tickets. Our goal is to prevent the violations that would warrant a ticket from happening in the first place,” Trooper Jake Rhymestine, public information officer for State Police Troop G, said in a news release.
State law requires drivers to slow down, turn on headlights, and follow posted speed limits and traffic patterns in work zones.
Work zones represent threats to more than just highway workers.
According to PennDOT, Pennsylvania recorded nearly 1,400 work zone crashes in 2025, resulting in 12 deaths and 805 injuries. Only one of the 12 people killed was a highway worker, underscoring the risk work zone crashes pose to motorists as well as road crews.
Since 1970, 93 PennDOT workers have died in the line of duty, according to the agency.
In a news release, PennDOT said distracted and aggressive driving are among the leading factors contributing to work zone crashes.
Motorists can check road conditions, traffic delays, and construction information on the 511PA website.