MSU and transportation officials are trying to make construction zones safer for motorists and workers.

Experimental sensors and electronic signs will display the safe speed limit on a five-mile stretch of Interstate 96’s construction zone south and west of Lansing.

In addition, the Michigan Department of Transportation announced that it will use at least $350,000 to cover the overtime costs of police officers patrolling work areas across the state.

MDOT employee Jeff Grossklaus said the sensors will be installed in April and will detect the volume and speed of traffic as well as indicating if the pavement is wet.

Employees also will be able to manually put in factors concerning work activity.

The speed limit will be adjusted on electronic signs based on these factors.

“We are hoping that it will set the speed according to the conditions and provide safety for workers and motorists,” Grossklaus said.

Grossklaus said the project will cost about $700,000 with 80 percent of the funds coming from the Federal Highway Administration and the other 20 percent coming from MDOT and MSU.

According to Grossklaus, the new technology won’t look much different to motorists.

The speed limit signs will be attached to trailers on the side of the road and look like regular road signs except with digital numbers.

Catherine Ochalek, a chemistry freshman said she likes the idea of changing speed limits based on road conditions.

“I’ve been driving in really bad weather, and sometimes 65 mph is too fast,” she said. “There are a lot of drivers who just get way out of control.”

Similar projects have been done in Arizona and Oregon and are being completed in Virginia and Maryland.

The Lansing area was picked for the experiment because there are several different types of construction going on at the same time allowing for research in varying situations, Grossklaus said.

MDOT Director of Communications Ari Adler said the money invested by MDOT should increase the number of police in and around the Lansing construction area. He also said the amount of patrolling in other work areas in the state will increase based on police recommendations.

Michigan State Police Sgt. Dan Davis said they will have continuous patrolling in the Lansing work area, and depending on the results, the signs could be used in other work areas.

This is the fourth year the state police have worked with MDOT and Davis said the MDOT money is working in conjunction with the varying speed limits.

“This is new to Michigan and I think it’ll be interesting to see if it really does effect the flow of traffic,” he said.