MoDOT plans biggest construction season

The Missouri Department of Transportation has 27 construction projects scheduled for Interstate 44 and 17 scheduled for Interstate 70 this year, all of which will require some lane closures. April 3–9 is National Work Zone Awareness Week, and while it’s traditionally the start of the construction season, some projects began in early March so work could be finished before the Memorial Day Weekend.

“We’re doing everything we can to let motorists know ahead of time where they’ll encounter construction zones and how they can get through them safely with minimum frustration, or avoid them entirely,” said Dan Hillis, director of system management, in a news release. “While these improvements will increase delays for now, safer roads and a smoother driving surface will be a long-term benefit.”

Missouri Gov. Mat Blunt challenged MoDOT in his State of the State Address to finish its Smooth Roads Initiative projects by the end of the year, and the department is working toward that goal.

Through the initiative, the most heavily traveled 2,200 miles of Missouri highways will be brought up to good condition. The improvements, however, also mean that there will be thousands of work zones throughout the state, many of which will be on major interstates and highways.

Methods MoDOT is using to inform motorists about ongoing or upcoming projects include billboards and radio advertisements. Also, a statewide construction map and corridor construction maps for I-44 and I-70 are being distributed across the state, and also are available online at www.modot.org.

“We’re working day and night to make roads smoother and safer,” Hillis said. “We ask that motorists be patient with us as we improve their roads, and remember to always buckle up and drive smart.”

Most crashes in highway work zones are caused by inattention, excessive speed and following too closely, according to statistics from the state. Although many MoDOT employees and contractors have been killed, motorists are the ones most likely to die in a work-zone crash, the release said.

In 2005, there were 15 fatalities and 940 motorists injured in work-zone crashes, down from 28 motorists killed and 1,167 injured in 2004. Since 2000, 214 MoDOT employees have been injured and four have died in work-zone crashes.

“In the grand scheme of things, a few minutes of inconvenience means years of smoother, safer driving,” Hillis said.