Arkansas Highways Magazine - May 2013

SAFETY IN WORK ZONES E EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY

IS

ach year in April, National

Work Zone Awareness Week is held across the nation to bring

attention to the importance of driving carefully through work zones on our highways.

This year’s theme, “Work Zone Safety:

We’re All In This Together,” highlights the complexities of work zones, especially in

urban areas, and the need for awareness and planning on the part of everyone

affected by work zones. That would include Departments of Transportation, road

workers, motorists, bicyclists, motorcycles, pedestrians, emergency response teams, law enforcement and utility workers.

The national kickoff event was held April

16th in Washington, D.C. In Arkansas, the

kickoff of Work Zone Awareness Week was on April 11th in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith was chosen for the event

due to the fact that the Department has

begun construction on the rehabilitation

of Interstate 540 through the area. The

Joining Department representatives

$78.8 million project represents the

were Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders,

resurfacing the seven miles of main

Police and Arkansas State Police,

Department’s largest contract ever let in

its 100-year history. The project includes travel lanes, rebuilding nine bridges and making improvements to four others. It

stretches seven miles through Crawford

and Sebastian counties. Construction will continue through the summer of 2014.

(An article on the project can be read on

page 22 of this issue of Arkansas Highways.)

“Interstate 540 through Fort Smith is

one of the most highly traveled areas in the State,” commented Emanuel Banks,

Assistant Chief Engineer for Operations.

“Add hundreds of construction workers

and suppliers to the work area and the

potential for conflict exists everyday — for

motorists and for workers. That’s why each year we emphasize the need for safety in

our work zones. It takes everyone to make these construction areas a safe place.”

(L. to R.) District Engineer Joe Shipman and Assistant Chief Engineer for Operations Emanuel Banks onsite at the Interstate 540 work zone.

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Van Buren Mayor Bob Freeman,

representatives of the Arkansas Highway Associated General Contractors and

the American Traffic Safety Services Association.

Also at the podium were representatives

from the contractors on the project,

Kiewit Infrastructure South Company of Little Rock.

Statistics show that the national event

is having a positive effect on safety.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the number of work

zone fatalities has decreased in the United States every year since 2002. Data show that crashes in work zones caused 720

fatalities in 2008. That figure represents a 39 percent decrease from 2002, when 1,186 work zone fatalities occurred. 