ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
America’s roads see a great number of automobiles across the miles of blacktop, and quite often, road construction workers and equipment can likewise be seen upgrading and building new paths for vehicles.
While driving safely is always encouraged in construction zones, annually, the Kansas Department of Transportation takes a week in April to remind motorists to drive with caution in work zones.
KDOT District Six Public Affairs Manager Yazmin Moreno said Work Zone Awareness Week, which takes place this year April 15 through 19, helps raise public awareness of about the importance of work zone safety.
“The goal of this week is to promote awareness of the dangers of work zones,” she said. “We are urging motorists to slow down, put away the distractions.”
Moreno said while work zone safety is emphasized during the annual event, it is likewise an issue KDOT promotes year-round.
“We want everyone to go back home to their families safely,” she said.
Moreno said reflecting on the importance of safety and awareness is a part of Work Zone Awareness Week.
“Every year, thousands of workers are injured or killed in a work zone,” she said. “We ask all motorists to join with us in ensuring work zone safety by reducing speeds, avoiding distractions and obeying all warning signs.”
Moreno said the most common mistakes drivers make is with distractions and not obeying traffic signs.
“If you’re traveling on the highway and you see orange cones or signs, that’s usually an indicator that you’re approaching a work zone,” she said. “Some people are distracted and don’t know they’re approaching a work zone until they get there.”
Many drivers think going faster will get them to their destination faster, but Moreno said little time is actually saved.
“If the speed limit is 55 mph and you’re going 65 mph, it’s only going to save you a minute to five minutes to your trip,” she said. “Those five minutes are not worth the risk of injury or death.”
Wednesday, KDOT workers and their transportation partners will be wearing orange as part of the Go Orange for Work Zone Safety initiative to promote safety in construction zones.
Moreno provided some tips for travelers going through road construction to their destination.
“When the traveling public is approaching a work zone, pay attention, follow traffic control, don’t speed, expect delays,” she said. “Always allow additional space between you and the car in front of you. Change lanes when directed to do so. Be patient.”
KDOT’s road construction season typically starts in the spring, and Moreno said this means there will be many highway and construction projects and maintenance activities coming up in the near future, which she said is a good thing.
“That means our highways are being improved for everyone, for all of the traveling public in Kansas,” she said. “We want to remind everyone to use extra caution when they approach work zones. We want them to get home safely, and we all want our employees to get home safely.”
Moreno said Southwest Kansas has many projects coming up this construction season.
“In Seward County specifically, we have an intersection improvement project on U.S.-54 and Western Avenue,” she said. “We will be adding left turn lanes and upgrading the traffic signal.”
Other projects in the area include bridge and guard rail projects in Morton County, Meade County and Clark County, and Moreno said there are still others coming up in the region.
“We have a grading and surfacing project that will take place on U.S.-83 in Haskell County,” she said. “We have a major construction project taking place in Sublette, and we have a grading surfacing project taking place in Meade along U.S.-54 and a passing lane project. We also have the resurfacing project on U.S.-160 from Ulysses to the interchange.”
As many KDOT officials say, having many construction projects is both a good and a bad thing, but Moreno simply urged drivers to be cautious as they make their way to where they are going.
“We ask motorists to be patient, drive with caution, slow down and put away the distractions, and as always, wear your seat belt,” she said.
