JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s National Work Zone Awareness Week, and the Florida Department of Transportation is emphasizing the importance of protecting road workers in active construction zones.
To give viewers a better understanding of what work zones are like, FDOT took News4JAX Traffic Anchor Sophia Vitello to a major construction project on I-95 in Jacksonville.
“There are thousands of crashes every year in work zones,” said Sara Pleasants, a Community Outreach Specialist with FDOT. “Crashes in work zones are 70% more likely to result in a fatality, and about 80% of the fatalities in work zones are either drivers or passengers. So really, it’s not just the crews that you’re keeping safe, it’s you, it’s your passengers, it’s your kids.”
While touring the site, News4JAX spoke with Pleasants about how some feel road work can take so long. Pleasants said FDOT understands the frustration and said projects could be completed more quickly if the entire roadway were shut down to focus solely on construction. But she said it’s assumed that most drivers would not want that, and FDOT tries to balance completing the work with limiting disruption.
“We try to complete these projects with as little disruption to drivers and to the folks that live near the construction zone,” Pleasants said.
News4JAX also asked Pleasants about what it’s like for crews working so close to moving traffic and why work zone safety matters. Pleasants said road workers’ “office” can be about 10 feet from live traffic, and at times just a few inches away.
“All it takes is one moment of inattention, one moment of impatience,” Pleasants said. “Please slow down and just pay attention to these folks on the side of the road. They just want to get home safe to their families.”
Pleasants said the I-95 widening project is on schedule and is set to be completed in 2028.