The Kansas Department of Transportation announced on April 22 that it is sharing personal stories throughout National Work Zone Awareness Week to emphasize the importance of safety in highway work zones.
According to the department, each day features a new story from employees and partners to illustrate why vigilance is necessary. In Wednesday’s safety blog, Keith Hubler, Highway Maintenance Superintendent in Clay Center, recounted an incident involving his crew working on I-70. Hubler said he received a call about an incident in their work zone, which immediately raised concerns for both crew and public safety.
Hubler described how emergencies can develop rapidly. He detailed a situation where his team was working with a standard mobile setup when a motorist approaching the area began acting erratically. The driver nearly hit the overpass guardrail, overcorrected, crossed back over the highway and off the shoulder, narrowly missing the trail vehicle.
The department said that Hubler’s full blog post is available at kansastransportation.blogspot.com and may be published with credit to Keith Hubler/KDOT. Similar stories are scheduled for release daily as part of this ongoing series.
Upcoming blogs will feature Heather Jennings, KDOT Construction Manager in Syracuse on Thursday, and Andrew Booth, Kansas Turnpike Authority Safety Coordinator in Wichita on Friday. More information about these initiatives can be found at the organization’s press release.
