This year's National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is being held this week, April 8-12, 2019, with the national kick-off press event to be held on April 9, 2019, in Washington, D.C.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), along with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA), the Virginia DOT, the Maryland DOT, and the District DOT (DDOT)—in addition to other government agencies and trade groups—are sponsoring this year’s work-zone awareness campaign. This 2019 NWZAW theme is "Drive Like You Work Here," and ATSSA is promoting the campaign via social media with the hashtag #Orange4Safety.
NWZAW is held each year in the spring in order to bring national attention to motorist and worker safety and mobility issues in work zones. Since 1999, the FHWA has worked with AASHTO and ATSSA to coordinate and sponsor the event.
The campaign’s national kick-off event will take place on Tuesday, April 9 at 11 a.m. in the nation's capital at the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Hosted by DDOT, the event will feature remarks from DDOT Director Jeff Marootian and FHWA Deputy Administrator Brandye Hendrickson.
State departments of transportation also are launching work-zone safety campaigns of their own. Oklahoma DOT is incorporating a "Game of Cones" theme, a nod to the popular HBO series "Game of Thrones," in order to draw attention to the departments efforts in bolstering work-zone safety. Also, the Michigan DOT is hosting its own kickoff event on April in collaboration with other state agencies.
