NEWPORT, Ky. — Road construction is a familiar sight across the Tri-State this time of year, and while the delays can test drivers’ patience, transportation officials say work zones are about much more than traffic backups. They say slowing down and staying alert can help protect road crews while improving safety for everyone once projects are complete.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Jake Ryle said the goal of construction projects is to make travel safer in the long run.
WATCH: WCPO 9's K.J. Jacobs looks at keeping everyone safe in work zones:
“Be patient,” Ryle said. "You know, the work that we’re doing right now is aimed at improving the lives for everyone here. You know, we’re working on these safety projects, on these construction projects to make life a little bit better for everyone involved. There’s going to be some growing pains with traffic and roadwork and whatnot, but the end product will absolutely be worth it."
Ryle said keeping work zones safe starts with three simple habits: slowing down, putting away distractions and allowing extra travel time before heading out.
“First, I would say slow down,” Ryle said. "You know, any of our work zones are gonna require a speed limit reduction and so we want to make sure our workers are safe. We want to make sure that motorists are also safe. I’d also encourage folks just to put their phone down. It’s insane to see the number of people that are still just texting and driving and using their phone in different ways. Put the phone down. And lastly, I would say just plan ahead. Leave early, give yourself plenty of extra time."
Those reminders are especially important because crashes in work zones don’t just put drivers and workers at risk. They can also delay projects by damaging equipment and taking crews off the job.
“I’ll tell you in the past two weeks we had two of our crews actually hit as far as our trucks are concerned that had an attenuator on the back,” Ryle said. "So two of those trucks then went out of service because somebody ended up running into them… Making sure that you’re aware and even if it takes a couple of extra minutes to drive through safely, it’s so important because any time that we have a crash that involves one of our crews, obviously it’s traumatic to them, but it also takes a truck out of service and then it just delays and extends the project even further."
Transportation officials encourage drivers to slow down, stay alert and avoid distractions whenever traveling through work zones.
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