The Arkansas Department of Transportation announced on April 17 that it will host a kick-off event for National Work Zone Awareness Week at the Fallen Worker Memorial on the grounds of its Central Office in Little Rock at 11 a.m.
The event will include a testimonial from the spouse of an ARDOT employee who was severely injured in a work zone. ARDOT will also present its first-ever Safety Partner of the Year Award to an individual or entity recognized for championing work zone safety in Arkansas. Attendees will have the opportunity to view ARDOT’s new documentary, “The Making of a Memorial,” which focuses on the Fallen Worker Memorial.
National Work Zone Awareness Week is observed each spring, typically at the start of construction season, and aims to encourage safe driving through highway work zones across the country. This year, it takes place during the week of April 20-24. The campaign was founded by the American Traffic Safety Services Association, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Federal Highway Administration.
ARDOT Director Jared D. Wiley said, “Between ARDOT’s Slow Down, Phone Down Work Zone Safety campaign, the work zone speed enforcement cameras, the handheld device detection cameras in work zones, and a number of other safety initiatives, we are seeing a reduction in the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities in Arkansas work zones. However, our work is never done. Our mission will always be to work toward zero deaths.”
Arkansas Highway Commission Chairman Philip Taldo said, “For ARDOT, safety has always been the most important core value, and they are putting that into action every day. Work zone safety needs to be a joint effort between road workers and the traveling public. We all need to work together so everyone can get home safely.”
More information about this event can be found at the organization’s press release.
