Shoppers in a rush are on troopers' list: hundreds of traffic stops on I-5

Washington State troopers made 178 traffic stops over two days on Interstate-5 near Federal Way as shoppers headed to find bargains at local shopping malls.

In one hour this morning along a section of I-5 in Snohomish County, which is being patrolled by aircraft, troopers pulled over 20 vehicles for speeding.

"There's still a lot of activity trying to get to and from the big sales," said State Patrol spokesman Jeff Merrill. "We want to remind people to slow down a bit."

He said in four hours Thursday morning, troopers made 118 stops with one car going over 110 miles an hour. This morning, between 6:45 and 8:45 a.m., troopers made 60 more stops near the 317th Street overpass near Federal Way.

The Washington State Patrol will have two single engine prop planes — equipped with cameras — to monitor traffic outside of Department of Transportation camera range today and Saturday morning.

One aircraft will fly over Pierce and Thurston County near the Tacoma Mall and Hawks Prairie shopping areas and the other over Snohomish County near Everett and the retail corridor near Marysville, Tulalip and Arlington.

To help drivers plan their trips and get to their destinations with minimal delays the state Department of Transportation will:

... Re-time traffic signals near offramps and interchanges leading to area malls to help prevent backups from ramps onto the freeway.

... Post informational messages on electronic message boards in Seattle and Tacoma and on portable message signs near shopping centers in Snohomish County.