Keeping construction crews safe near work zones

The Indiana Department of Transportation and Indiana State Police are using Work Zone Safety Awareness Week as a reminder for drivers to proceed with extreme caution while commuting near construction zones.

Officials reported more than 1,500 work zone crashes in Indiana in 2021, which resulted in more than 300 people getting injured and five deaths.

“The situation that we see with often very tragic results when people just, they don’t recognize when traffic is slowed or stopped at a worksite and then run into that stop traffic, and that’s where we see majority of the really bad injuries and fatalities as well,” said Sgt. Ted Bohner, Indiana State Police.

INDOT warns drivers to be vigilant of lane closures, work zone signs and reduced speed limits while commuting.

“This year, we have over 1,300 projects scheduled around the state. It’s an investment of about $3 billion, so last year was record-breaking and this year is even more so. So, there’s going to be a lot of construction happening all over the state and we just want people to be aware and be mindful as they’re driving, especially if they’re going in areas they might not as familiar with,” said Cassandra Bajek, Public Relations Director for INDOT Northwest.

Visit INDOT’s website for updates on Indiana construction projects and details for their detours.