
By Brenda Erdahl
Now that the weather is warming up, drivers can expect to encounter more construction on the roads. To bring awareness to work zones and those who work in them, Wright County Commissioners approved a resolution at their Tuesday, April 2 County Board meeting recognizing April 15-19 as National Work Zone Awareness Week in Wright County. In 2022, 891 people died in work zones, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) data. Also in 2022, 94 highway worker occupational fatalities occurred in road construction sites, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics. data.
Assistant County Administrator Marc Mattice referred to an incident last summer where a MnDOT worker from Belle Plaine was killed at a road construction site. While the incident didn’t take place in Wright County, it brings to attention how all must strive to be safe and careful in the work zone, he said.
The purpose of Work Zone Awareness week is to encourage motorists to slow to posted speed limits, eliminate distractions while driving and be watchful for roadway workers, their equipment, and vehicles on the side of the road in work zones.
MnDOT offers the following safety tips when driving through construction zones this season:
• Obey posted speed limits. The fine for speeding in a work zone is $300.
• Drive undistracted. Avoid using phones, mobile devices, adjusting the radio – even eating – while in work zones.
• Move over. Give workers room to safely complete their work.
• Know before you go. Get real-time information about traffic and road conditions at 511mn.org or download the free 511mn app at Google Play or the App Store.
• Be patient. Expect delays, especially during peak travel times.
• Do the zipper merge.
• Avoid making unnecessary lane changes.
• Never enter a road blocked with barriers or cones.
• Expect work zones to constantly change. Day to day you could experience lane shifts, closures, narrower lanes, moving workers and vehicles.