PennDOT Issues Road Construction Season Warning

With road construction season in full swing, PennDOT (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation) urges motorists to be especially careful driving in and near construction sites.

PennDOT has a number of construction sites in the Philadelphia area, including on Interstate 95 between Broad Street and the Delaware state line. The site will be active from June of 2009 through June of 2011.

The stretch of I-95 between Interstate 476 and PA 332 will undergo bridge repairs and have off-peak hour lane closures where crews are working between September of 2009 and March of 2010.

Interstate 76 in Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, between the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Valley Forge Interchange and South Street in Philadelphia, will undergo construction through August of 2010 with intermittent overnight lane closures.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says one study of over 200 work construction sites showed an increase in accidents in the construction zones of 61 percent over normal road conditions. U.S. DOT also states that pedestrian safety is too often neglected in work areas with high pedestrian traffic.

Another study of over 100 road work sites concluded that unsafe driving speeds and inadequate controls on driving speeds were the two major causes of accidents at the sites. Too often, drivers do not follow posted speed limits in road construction zones.

Pedestrians and drivers aren’t the only ones at high risk in street and highway construction zones. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) says more than 100 workers are killed each year and over 20,000 injured in the highway and street construction industry. Construction vehicles and equipment and passing motor vehicles pose serious risks to construction zone workers. These areas often have low visibility and poor lighting, and the workers are exposed to high traffic volume.

Anyone injured in an accident in a construction zone is advised to immediately get needed medical attention. An attorney can advise you about possible claims depending on your circumstances.