APPOMATTOX, Va. — Virginia State Police planned to step up patrols on Route 460 ahead of the college semester starting.
The increased patrols, dubbed "Operation College Safe Return," were slated for Friday, August 16, and Saturday, August 17.
The goal is to keep students safe as they head back to campus. It targets a busy stretch of highway from Petersburg to Christiansburg, passing by several colleges and universities.
The patrols will cover the Route 460 corridor from Virginia State University near Petersburg to Christiansburg near Virginia Tech.
Other schools along the route include Liberty University, Longwood University, University of Lynchburg, Radford University, and Roanoke College.
"We're increasing our presence on Route 460 to make sure students get back to campus safely," Virginia State Police First Sgt. Eric King said. "Our goal is to prevent accidents and keep the roads safe by cracking down on reckless driving."
Route 460 is known for heavy traffic during college move-in weekends and on Fridays when people are heading out for the weekend.
The Virginia State Police are focused on making sure there are no fatal crashes during this busy time and will be especially looking out for dangerous driving behaviors.
Earlier this year, a similar operation on U.S. 58 in southern Virginia resulted in 96 speeding tickets and one arrest for Driving While Intoxicated, showing the impact of increased enforcement.
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