Work Zone Safety Memorial visits county
Dan Cessna, district executive for PennDOT District 11, addresses a crowd Tuesday at the unveiling of the American Traffic Safety Services Foundation’s National Work Zone Memorial at the Claysville Welcome Center.
The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation’s National Work Zone Memorial
CLAYSVILLE – A traveling tribute to those who lost their lives in work zone crashes visited Washington County on Tuesday.
The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation’s National Work Zone Memorial was stationed at the Claysville Welcome Center in Donegal Township until 4 p.m. Each year, the memorial is updated to reflect recent deaths and travels cross-country to raise public awareness about the need for safety and respect in work zones. It made stops in Harrisburg and Philadelphia before coming to Washington County.
The memorial, which was unveiled in April 2002, was supposed to appear Thursday in Pittsburgh, but a visit from President Barack Obama forced a location change. Obama was in Pittsburgh to speak at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
“There are 800 deaths a year across the country in work zones,” James Baron, ATSSA’s communication director, said. “The number has come down, and the reason it has come down is because people are more aware of the dangers in work zones.”
The memorial currently includes more than 1,400 names of workers, motorists, pedestrians, law enforcement officers and children killed in work zones. Baron said the memorial doesn’t provide a “complete picture” of those killed.
Representatives from the state Department of Transportation, Construction Association of Western Pennsylvania, Beth’s Barricades and Flagger Force Traffic Control Services were also present.
Baron encouraged everyone to “slow down and stop using distractions in the vehicle.” State law requires drivers to increase their visibility and obey work zone speed limits. Drivers who don’t turn on their headlights in posted work zones face a $25 fine. Additionally, drivers caught driving 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit in an active work zone automatically lose their license for 15 days.
Kirk Nypaver, field safety manager for Golden Triangle Construction, which is completing a major construction project along Interstate 70 at the Murtland Avenue interchange, said his line of work can be very dangerous at times.
“I’ve seen a lot of accidents,” Nypaver said. “Basically, we are trying to make things safer. We need people to be patient and aware of us.”
Baron agreed.
“Show respect for the workers,” Baron said. “These people want to go home at the end of the night. They are just trying to make a living.”
To learn more about the National Work Zone Memorial visit, www.atssa.com/TheFoundation.