Governor Healey announces statewide wrong-way driver prevention and detection program

Governor Healey announced a statewide wrong-way driver prevention and detection program at the Danvers State Police barracks, saying the administration will deploy “every resource, every tool, every technology” to prevent wrong-way driving across Massachusetts. Families of Trooper Kevin Trainer, Sergeant Jeremy Cole and Gloucester graduate Chris Daley attended the event.

The governor said the initiative will expand and replace pavement markings, improve ramp design, add more signage and introduce illuminated flashing LED wrong-way signs. “I want every resource, every tool, every technology deployed, used here in Massachusetts on our roadways to prevent and stop wrong-way driving,” the governor said.

Transportation Undersecretary and Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver described a multi-phase approach that pairs engineering changes with advanced detection technology. Gulliver said the program will outfit existing ramp signals with cameras and sensors that create detection zones, trigger illuminated wrong-way signs and audible warnings, and automatically notify state police and MassDOT’s operations center so responders can coordinate a rapid response. He said the early pilot that detected a wrong-way entry in Danvers worked as intended.

Gulliver said the statewide rollout will cover more than 400 locations and represent an investment of about $50–75 million drawn from the state capital investment plan. He also said MassDOT purchased portable wrong-way detection trailers to deploy quickly to emerging trouble spots or to replace damaged equipment.

Colonel Jeffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police provided incident data and enforcement context: “Since June of 2024, the Massachusetts State Police has responded to 680 reports of wrong-way drivers across the Commonwealth,” he said, and noted Danvers ranks among the top 10 communities for such responses. Noble emphasized that preventing wrong-way driving requires both engineering and public cooperation and said troopers will continue enforcing impaired-driving laws.

State Senator Bruce Tarr, who described the announcement as a landmark for the Commonwealth, said the Senate passed an amendment unanimously that would add related language to the budget and cited research from Connecticut he said showed an 86% reduction in wrong-way incidents where similar devices were installed.

The chief of the Endicott Police Department recounted the November 27, 2024 death of Sergeant Jeremy Cole and urged action: “We simply need to do more to prevent these tragedies,” the chief said.

Officials asked motorists who encounter a wrong-way driver to pull to the right where safe, call 911, and otherwise seek to get out of harm’s way. The administration said it will continue testing dashboard and mapping-app integrations that can display warnings to drivers and expects incremental upgrades over the next 12 to 18 months as the system matures.

Next steps: MassDOT is identifying high-risk locations for immediate deployment, continuing pilots at existing sites, and working with the legislature to enshrine funding and program language in the final budget. The administration said some systems are already being installed.