SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) – Work Awareness Week has begun with the start of construction season.
Construction is continually ramping up throughout the State. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police, Illinois Tollway, industry partners, local agencies and frontline construction workers remind the public to “Respect the zone so we all get home,” the theme for this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week.
“Whatever the mode of transportation, we will all be traveling through work zones over the upcoming weeks and months,” said Acting Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi. “The people you see working on our roads, on equipment, or behind the cones and barricades are someone’s loved one, a friend, a neighbor, part of our community. Working together, we can ensure their safety and yours. Let’s make this the safest construction season ever in Illinois.”
The theme reinforces that your undivided attention and caution is necessary at all times traveling through work zones to protect everyone in them. It is essential to pay attention and slow down. Governor J.B. Pritzker proclaimed April 21 to 25 as “Work Zone Safety Awareness Week” in Illinois. IDOT is also holding “tailgate talks” to give workers refreshers on protocol. During construction season, the public should prepare for lane closures, changes in traffic patterns, reduced speed limits and the presence of workers and equipment.
IDOT is using speed safety vans and more rumble strips for the safety of work zones. There will also be geotargeted streaming audio ads to reinforce safety messages.
“Road workers are out there repairing and maintaining the highways we drive every day to make them safer for us,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Be a decent human being and respect them and the work they do by slowing down and giving them room so everyone can go home safely.”
The following guidelines for traveling through work zones should be followed at all times:
- Drop it and drive. Phones and electronic devices down at all times – it’s the law.
- Obey the signs. They will help you safely navigate work zones – and sometimes avoid delays.
- Slow down. The posted speed limits are there for the safety of workers and you.
- Be on the lookout for slowed or stopped traffic.
- Give yourself time to react. Avoid following too closely and maintain at least two seconds of space in front of you.
- Consider the limitations of heavy equipment, trucks and commercial vehicles. Provide them extra distance to come to a complete stop if they are behind you.
- Remember that a work zone can take many forms: a maintenance crew patching potholes or collecting litter, a major interstate reconstruction, a minor repair on a neighborhood street or a utility company out in the field. If you see orange, slow down and save lives.