North Carolina engineers are reviewing the safety of an Interstate 77 widening project near Charlotte after five wrecks, several serious injuries and one death in the past week, AP reported.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol plans to blanket the area with motorcycles, helicopters and unmarked cars to catch speeders and issue $250 tickets.

Engineers also plan to meet with police and firefighters this week to discuss whether anything more can be done to increase safety -- including a change in the 65-mph speed limit.

For now, however, engineers said speed did not cause the week of crashes that culminated in a fiery and fatal nine-car pileup Oct. 31.

Engineers also will rely on warning devices -- such as rumble strips - and increase efforts to ticket dangerous drivers. The Highway Patrol has attributed the accidents to several factors, including a blown tire, wet roads, driving mistakes and shifting loads in a delivery truck.