With construction season now again underway in Wisconsin, Manitowoc County’s Emergency Services Director reminds drivers to always be careful in work zones.
That’s the message from Rhonda Green on the WCUB Breakfast Club.
She says each road project is set up depending on the type of road the needs to be redone.
While there can be detours around construction areas, they might take a long time to get around.
But Green says that can be on purpose because county roads are weight-restricted.
“They can’t have big equipment on those little county roads because of culverts and things like that,” she noted. “So, (drivers) have to take the county highways or the state roads to divert that traffic.”
Green recommends all drivers keep an eye on their surroundings in construction zones.
She spoke with the Highway Department Director Greg Grotegut about problems when fixing a road.
“His number one issue is people speeding through these work zones and the people that are on their cell phones,” she revealed.
While construction projects have a timeline, elements like the weather can cause them to pause for however long.
Green says while that means workers won’t be around where the work zone signs are, it doesn’t mean they won’t come back.
“They’re still there, they’re still going to return to that job site and finish their job,” she described. “You just have to be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially at night.”
The Wisconsin DOT says it’s drivers, not workers, that make up a vast majority of crashes that can either hurt or kill someone.
Not only are fines doubled if you’re caught speeding, but there could also be prison time depending on how serious an accident is.
Drivers can find more information online on the safe driving page of wisconsindot.gov.
