Troopers from South Dakota and Minnesota will join together later this month for a 21-hour joint operation designed to promote highway safety.

The Minnesota State Patrol and South Dakota Highway Patrol will have an increased law-enforcement presence on Interstate 90. The joint operation is from 6 a.m. Friday  to 3 a.m. Saturday.

Col. Craig Price, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, said the joint operation is designed to stop criminal activity and reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities.

“Our two agencies highlight traffic safety every day,” he said. “This is a way to work together to deliver an even more effective message. In this cooperative effort, we can reach more motorists at one time.”

Troopers will promote highway safety through enforcement, with an emphasis on speed, hazardous moving violations, seatbelt use and impaired driving. The operation includes use of patrol aircraft, personnel with police service dogs, drug recognition experts and motor carrier personnel. Motor carrier personnel from the Iowa State Patrol also are involved, as are many local law enforcement agencies.

“We will use all the resources available,” said Col. Matt Langer, chief of the Minnesota State Patrol. “Through our cooperative effort, we want to further reduce those events that occur on our roadways and can impact so many people; not just those in the vehicles.”

The focus is on I-90 from the Wyoming border to the Wisconsin border. However, troopers are also working other state and county roads in the area, especially those that might be used to avoid the state-line ports of entry.