Politics & Government

MoDOT Warns Drivers to Pay Attention

MoDOT kicked off Work Zone Awareness Week Monday, and it's warning drivers to watch for road crews.

With spring and summer, comes peak season for road construction and travel, a combination that can create deadly situations if drivers aren't on alert.

Monday, the kicked off Work Zone Awareness week, just three days after a fatal car crash in the MoDOT work zone on Interstate 270. According to investigators, one driver was killed early Friday morning when another driver tried to change lanes in the I-270 expansion project work zone between Manchester Road and Highway 44.

(Read Previous Story: Fatal Crash in MoDOT I-270 Work Zone)

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MoDOT officials said drivers should expect shifting and narrowed lanes, nighttime lane closures and complete road closures during the road construction season.

"It's road construction season. If you see orange cones out here on the roadway...if you see it, put your cell phone down, don't text, pay attention. Watch what the traffic's doing. Prepare for starts and stops, just minimize those distractions," Andrew Gates with MoDOT tells Patch.

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Gates said since 1932, 130 MoDOT employees have been killed in the line of duty.

"Each spring, transportation and safety officials highlight the importance of staying aware in those work zones though National Work Zone Awareness Week. This year, the week is April 22- 28," MoDOT stated in a news release.

MoDOT kicked off observance of the week with a press conference at the Highway 141 reconstruction project in Chesterfield.

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez also presented MoDOT with a trophy Monday in recognition of hosting the national event.


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