GRAND CHUTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – While it’s important to always practice safe driving, early spring is perhaps the best time of year for a reminder.
“It’s definitely top of mind for everyone in the DOT because this is the time of year construction is starting up and people start to see a lot more orange drums on the road,” I-41 Project Design Manager Scott Ebel said.
Monday kicked off National Work Zone Awareness Week, an annual initiative to be extra vigilant when behind the wheel in a construction zone. According to the DOT, Wisconsin work zones have seen over 10,600 crashes, more than 3,800 injuries and 64 deaths just in the last five years.
“Slow down, drive the appropriate speed, make sure you’re paying attention to the vehicles around you and in front of you, put your phones down,” Ebel said.
“My dad was a operator out on the roads and you know, you’ve just got people who don’t pay attention, especially in this day and age with cell phones and everything, and people not paying attention,” Andy Olson of Appleton said. “They’ve got to be really careful out there and it’s good that they promote that type of stuff because people can lose their lives.”
This advice is especially pertinent for Wisconsinites in Grand Chute, where the I-41 expansion project is already underway. Ebel said fortunately, things have been going well in the first several weeks.
“Not seeing anything major in terms of potential issues with traffic or anything like that,” Ebel said. “Right now most of the impacts to the mainline of the roadway have been pretty minimal. Most of the work has been either at night or off peak times.”
Still, Fox Valley residents are prepared for years of increased activity.
“It’s exciting,” Olson said. “I mean, I think it’s going to be good for everything — the traffic flow, and obviously it’s going to be a bit of log jam coming up here when they’re doing it, but we’ve just got to get through it and eventually everything will get better.”
Click here for more information on Work Zone Awareness Week.
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