Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
On October 25, 2017, a dedication ceremony was held for a memorial commemorating West Virginia state highway employees who have lost their lives in work zone collisions. The creation of this memorial was spearheaded by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH), the largest agency of the West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT). The WVDOH... Continue Reading →
On September 8, 2000, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Employee Memorial was formally established to honor those state employees who have lost their lives in work zones or elsewhere while performing their duties. These individuals are commemorated each year in an annual remembrance ceremony held at the memorial, which is located on the... Continue Reading →
On April 8, 1996, a dedication ceremony was held for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Employee Memorial near the city of Paxico in the northeastern region of the Sunflower State. This memorial, which is specifically located at the Paxico Safety Rest Area on Interstate 70, commemorates state highway employees who have lost their lives... Continue Reading →
The April 2004 issue of Focus, a newsletter published by the Federal Highway Administration, highlighted various scheduled activities across the country for that year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). In describing how the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) would use the week to promote the need to drive more safely through highway construction areas,... Continue Reading →
In the time since the first National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) took place in 2000, kickoff events have been a key component of these annual campaigns highlighting the importance of safe driving in road construction areas. An early and notable example of these events was the one held in April 2001 in Washington, D.C.... Continue Reading →
Over the past several decades, changeable message signs have taken on an increasingly significant role at highway construction areas across the United States. These electronic traffic control signs (also widely known as variable or dynamic message signs) are now extensively used to alert drivers as they approach work zones to proceed more slowly and carefully... Continue Reading →
Hard hats, which are also called safety hats, long ago became an essential part of the personal protective equipment for workers in road construction areas across the United States. This type of helmet is worn by those individuals to help cushion the head against blows from motor vehicle crashes, flying objects, and other causes of... Continue Reading →
Throughout most of its existence to date, National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) has featured national kickoff events to officially launch those annual spring campaigns focused on the need for safe driving in road construction areas. In 2000, the kickoff ceremony for the first NWZAW took place in Springfield, Virginia. It was specifically held near... Continue Reading →
Over the years, construction barrels – officially known as “drums” in the United States – have become well-established mainstays of many road construction areas. The distinguishing features of construction barrels include their alternating white and orange reflective bands. These barrels are typically used to help make drivers aware that they are approaching a work zone... Continue Reading →
In the time since the first National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was held in April 2000, that week has served as a yearly means of calling nationwide attention to both the need for drivers to be extra cautious when traveling in the vicinity of construction work zones and the importance of remembering the individuals... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 