NEVADA (KTNV) — Drivers are expected to see a lot of state troopers on I-15 around the Nevada-California border this Thanksgiving weekend as they'll be out making sure the roads are safe with a lot of travelers taking to the road.
Wednesday, the radar gun was active for Nevada Highway Patrol Sergeant Travis Smaka, as he patrolled the I-15 corridor outside of Jean.
"A lot of congestion. A lot of traffic and a lot of high speeds," he said.
Smaka also told 13 Action News that this is what he typically sees near Stateline over the holidays, and with Thanksgiving weekend underway, NHP is teaming up with the California Highway Patrol to keep an eye on the corridor.
RELATED: NHP issues multiple citations during I-15 holiday enforcement
Sgt. Smaka says last year's Thanksgiving enforcement was a success.
"We brought the speeds down. It got to be a couple of days out here; it was tough to find someone speeding," Smaka said.
It was no different this year, with many cars either going at or below the speed limit.
"Normally on the weekend through here, it's not hard to find someone traveling over 90 or 100 miles per hour. But, today, the majority of traffic has been in the 70 range, and with the speed limit being 70, I'm happy," Smaka said.
Nevada Highway Patrol says it does expect around 300 thousand visitors to the Las Vegas valley for the holiday weekend, which means doubling the troopers on patrol.
By 4 p.m. Wednesday, troopers said they cited more than 150 drivers.
NHP says the enforcement effort with CHP is much more than merely catching speedsters, it's meant to save lives.
"Trying to keep families together and hopefully everyone traveling in and out of Las Vegas this weekend will have a happy holiday and will be able to get to their destination safely, partly because we're keeping the speeds down," Smaka said.
