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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 05, 2019
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MTA Supports National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 8 – 12)
“Drive Like You Work Here”
PORTLAND, Maine – Whether you work in an office or on the nation’s roadways, everyone deserves to get home safely. Next week is National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), which in its 20th year, is a national public awareness campaign spreading the message that we are all responsible for work zone safety. This year’s theme is “Drive Like You Work Here.”
The most recent National Highway Safety Administration statistics show a 2% increase in work zone fatalities. Those startling statistics further demonstrate the importance of increasing awareness of the importance of work zone safety. Participating in programs such as NZAW reinforces the reality that all motorists play a role in getting workers home safely.
As part of NWZAW, Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) would like to remind motorists that, at any given time, scores of fellow Mainers are working only feet away from live traffic – traffic that is supposed to be going 50 MPH, but unfortunately, is often going much faster. Work has recently begun on three bridges within a five-mile stretch of highway from Mile 44 to Mile 49 through the Portland Area. “We have a number of work zones currently in place through this busy stretch of road. Lanes are narrowed, with no shoulders for breakdowns and the speed limit has been reduced to 50 MPH so that workers and travelers alike can make it home safely,” said Erin Courtney, MTA spokesperson. “It is imperative that people drive cautiously through these work zones,” said Courtney.
The MTA will also be participating in Go Orange Day on April 10, 2019. Courtney says, “This is a day when all our employees, whether they work on the road, at the tolls or in the office, will be encouraged to wear safety orange or yellow in order to raise awareness about the importance of driving safely through work zones.”
NWZAW goes a long way in getting much needed attention on work zone safety. The MTA will also be holding other events and spreading the word on social media.
NWZAW was formed by American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and may other state and federal agencies now take part. For more information go to http://www.nwzaw.org.
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