2018 Work Zone Awareness Week

GOLDEN TRIANGLE AREA (WCBI) – Patching potholes, cutting grass, cleaning drains. Road workers, work around the clock to ensure our streets stay clean and safe. It’s National Work Zone Awareness Week.

“Every day I go into work I pray I make it home that day,” said MDOT Maintenance Tech 3 Veon Harris.

“Mostly we try to keep the public safe. Keep potholes patched, all the dead animals picked up off the highway, road debris anything that will keep the public safe on the high way we try and do it,” said MDOT Maintenance Tech 1 Tony Mixon.

For Mississippi Department of Transportation workers or road workers in general the job gets a little tougher when working on a busy highway or a heavily traveled part of town.

“They’re just a few feet away from traveling public. Cars aren’t paying attention on the road, a lot of distracted drivers. Not only do they have to concentrate on the job they are doing on the road but also watch out for those who are on the road and may be distracted,” said MDOT District Maintenance Engineer Matt Dunn.

MDOT has roughly 3,000 employees statewide. District Maintenance Engineer Matt Dunn says the truth is the road is the office for many MDOT workers.

“As you’re driving down the road you always have an awareness of the work zone coming up and a lot of times we’ll have the one mile ahead sign that will alert the public that it’s something going on a head. When you see an orange sign just be aware there is going to be workers ahead on the road and to watch out for those workers. We’ll have flashing lights to bring awareness to where our workers are and we’ll have safety vests on but just pay attention when you see the orange signs pay attention to what you’re doing,”said Dunn.

Harris says remember always be vigilant when passing a zone.

“Please exercise caution, slow down. So, we all can have a safe day that day,” said Harris.

For more information on Work Zone Awareness Week and different events going on throughout the state visit http://mdot.ms.gov/portal/home.aspx