WYDOT reminds motorists to stay alert for mobile work zones

LARAMIE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Transportation would like to remind motorists to stay alert for mobile work zones this summer season.

On May 14, WYDOT’s striping crew was striping the dashed centerline on I-80 west of Laramie, near mile marker 300. Striping operations typically move slower than 15 mph, which can seem even slower on a busy interstate with speed limits set at 80 mph.

As they were striping, a vehicle crashed into the mobile work zone. No injuries were reported.

Part of the standard traffic control procedure for the operation, the crew had a truck-mounted crash attenuator (TMA) following the striping truck. TMAs and other types of crash attenuators are designed to absorb the energy from a rear-end crash, protecting not just workers on the highway but the public as well.

“For a high-speed crash like this, I would say it very likely saved the life of the driver and prevented injury or worse for our crew,” said Ryan Shields, WYDOT District 1’s Traffic Engineer.

TMAs are valuable safety tools used not just for striping operations, but for maintenance jobs and other work along high-volume routes and interstates. Even with another warning vehicle equipped with a dynamic message sign parked farther behind the operation, witnesses told Striping Foreman Jeremy Chatfield the driver never even tapped the brakes before the crash.

"Working along a high-speed road is extremely hazardous, and many of our crews put themselves in that environment daily to accomplish their mission,” Shields said. “We see and read about far too many incidents of distracted or impaired driving, which can lead to crashes like this.”

It’s easy to stop paying attention or speed up to make up for lost time between established construction zones. However, many of WYDOT’s work zones change from day to day, like guardrail repairs or pavement patching.

Motorists are encouraged to stay alert for potential work zones along their travels, including mobile operations like striping. Slow down and avoid distractions like cell phones or even the work going on around you.  Obey all traffic control, and slow down and move over when passing workers on the shoulders of a highway.

Whether it’s a quick trip across town or a road trip across the state, focus on the road and just drive.