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Ohio's 2022 Department of Transportation construction season is under way, and this year ODOT is attempting $2 billion worth of work on 829 projects.
In Washington County alone, there will be Interstate 77 resurfacing, I-77 culvert rehabilitation, I-77 rest area parking lot reconstruction, State Route 7 resurfacing, SR-7 landslide repair, SR-7 culvert replacement, SR-60/SR-676/SR-821 resurfacing, SR-60 intersection improvement, City of Marietta pedestrian improvement, Start Westward pedestrian improvements, SR-618 resurfacing and City of Belpre resurfacing.
But while workers fan out across the Buckeye State to improve the safety of our roads, bridges, sidewalks and other infrastructure, it is important we keep them safe, too.
Last year, there were 4,796 crashes in Ohio work zones, 35% of them occurred with workers present. ODOT workers, vehicles, and equipment were hit 154 times last year. Thirty people died in those crashes.
"The men and women working on these construction projects are doing dangerous work. Motorists can make it less dangerous by paying extra attention, moving over, and slowing down when they see our crews," said ODOT Director Jack Marchbanks.
Lower speed limits in work zones are not there to inconvenience drivers. They are meant to keep both workers and drivers safe. It takes a good deal of nerve and faith in humanity to carry out your job while cars are whizzing past even at 55 mph. The men and women toiling to improve our roads shouldn't have to deal with those who disregard the speed limit and drive dangerously in work zones.
Marchbanks is right. Pay attention, slow down and move over if you can. Those in ODOT work zones depend on the rest of us to keep them safe while they get the job done.