Harris: It’s the worn phrase that can still save a life — please slow down in work zones

During the summer, local county Road and Bridge crews tackle on average five road improvement projects per day. These aren’t necessarily the big-ticket items like adding a lane to an interstate or constructing a bridge big enough to support a convoy of semis. These are smaller “one and done” type deals such as grading, sweeping, striping, gravel road maintenance, and mowing, for example.

County staff are constantly shifting around, setting up work zones, and checking jobs off a list that truly never ends. Projects can take anywhere from an hour or two to a few days and are critical to a healthy transportation infrastructure in our mountainous region where conditions are not kind to roadways.

We know nobody likes to be inconvenienced unexpectedly while they are traveling. We are constantly fine-tuning our workflow to keep traffic delays to a minimum. But slowing or stopping traffic is usually required to complete this very necessary business.

---

---

Before Road and Bridge staff get to work on a project, they set up a safe work zone. This may include signage, cones, temporary closures, and in-person flaggers to manage traffic. Their intention is to do their jobs as quickly as possible to the highest standard and return home safely at the end of the day.

That’s not too much to ask, is it?

---

---

Well, unfortunately, I have had to ask myself this question with increasing frequency. This column is a heartfelt appeal to our communities to please respect work zones. We’ve all heard the catchy campaigns: “give us a break,” “be aware, take care,” “safety is no accident.” Maybe we’ve become oversaturated with these messages, or maybe they’ve been lost in the noise of our busy modern day lives. But when you’re in our boots, having the public take these slogans to heart is of paramount importance.

In the last couple years, I have noticed a severe uptick in hazardous driving behavior in work zones. While we’ve always had to tolerate a few reckless motorists, these days it seems more the norm than the exception. Vehicles speeding ten, fifteen, twenty miles per hour over the limit is not an uncommon occurrence. Drivers ignoring signs, disregarding closures, and blowing past flaggers happens all the time. Distracted drivers stare at cellphones instead of paying attention to their surroundings.

And perhaps most upsetting is the outright aggressive, rude behavior from some individuals. Our crews suffer honking, verbal insults, crude body language, and even altercations just because the county is asking travelers to wait a few minutes while we fix a road. Not only is this behavior extremely dangerous to our crews and other drivers, it is also against the law, and our partners at the Sheriff’s Office have no qualms about enforcing it.

Most of our projects occur in residential neighborhoods. So this isn’t a situation to blame on tourists who might not know better or feel entitled to place others at risk for their selfish convenience. Sadly, the violators are locals — and it’s to you whom I am appealing to today.

When you see a work zone, know that it’s there for a reason, and something is going on. Make a decision to accept that you may be delayed for a bit, and own that mindset. Slow down. Use caution. Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t pick up the cellphone. Obey the signage and flaggers, and pay attention as you move through the work zone. We appreciate eye contact so we know that you see us, and we see you.

And that’s it! You can go on your way, the job will get done, and our crews can go home to their families. We are here to serve you, and we take immense pride in bettering the streets we all rely on to get to work, take our kids to school, and use to recreate.

So please, even if you’ve heard it a thousand times, hear it again from me — slow down in work zones. Our lives depend on it.

John Harris is the Eagle County Road and Bridge director.