By Roads & Bridges Staff
Last year, National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was a time of mourning for Maryland’s road and bridge construction community.
The Maryland Department of Transportation hosted NWZAW in the wake of two tragedies. A month earlier, on March 26, six road crew workers from contractor Brawner Builders died when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into Baltimore’s Patapsco River.
On March 23, 2023, a high-speed car crash killed six highway workers on Interstate 695, Baltimore’s Beltway.
This year, NWZAW serves as a time for reflection and vigilance for Maryland’s road and bridge construction industry. Those tragedies forced the state’s industry leaders to examine how to better protect highway workers. Meanwhile, Maryland officials are pushing for stronger safety measures to prevent future tragedies.
“Our preliminary fatality numbers in 2024 look better than 2023,” said Terri Soos, deputy administrator of the Maryland State Highway Administration. “In terms of work zone safety, we’ve put many measures in place following the Governor’s Work Zone Safety Work Group. Many of their recommendations are implemented or well underway.”
One of the measures, the Road Worker Protection Act, went into effect in January. This law expands the use of automated speed enforcement cameras in work zones and increases fines for violations. The tiered fine structure depends on the drivers speed in a work zone, with fines ranging from $60 to $500 and the ability to double if workers are present in the work zones.
For instance, motorists traveling over 40 mph over the posted speed limit with workers present will get a $1000 fine, according to Soos.
Data from the Maryland Department of Transportation suggests the law is already making an impact, with a noticeable drop in repeat speeding offenses.
Maryland's Move Over law is another measure. It requires drivers to slow down or change lanes when approaching stopped vehicles with flashing lights, including emergency, tow and utility vehicles. Officials are working with law enforcement to do more Move Over initiatives, according to Soos.
The state has also introduced new technology to make work zones safer. Smart Work Zones, equipped with radar sensors and digital message boards, help warn drivers of upcoming lane closures and shifting traffic patterns. Automated Flagger Assistance Devices also have been deployed to keep workers out of direct traffic.
The Key Bridge collapsed when the Dali, a cargo ship from Singapore, lost power and crashed into a bridge support column. Though this tragedy is different than the daily dangers road and bridge construction workers face in work zones, it still highlighted the need for improved safety measures for many leaders in Maryland.
The Key Bridge collapse also sparked a national discussion about how safety can be built into infrastructure. In February, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and other state officials unveiled designs for the new Key Bridge, which they say will feature built-in protections against ship strikes.
“This is a great day for the state of Maryland,” Gov. Wes Moore said at a Feb. 4 press conference. “But it’s not lost on me that today’s triumph was born out of tragedy.”
The new Key Bridge will be the state’s first cable-stayed bridge. It could be completed in 2028 and cost upwards of $1.7 billion.
In the wake of these two tragedies, Maryland also has improved training for road crews. Contractors are now required to complete enhanced work zone safety courses covering emergency response and hazard recognition.
For companies like Brawner Builders, the changes can’t come soon enough.
“Distracted drivers are our biggest risk out there on the highways,” said David Berkhimer, vice president of infrastructure at Brawner Builders. “We educate and we train to handle the actual hazards of the work. It’s the external factors that we can’t control.”
Maryland State Police have increased patrols in active work zones, cracking down on reckless driving. These efforts likely will be critical to reinforcing new safety policies.
“That man or woman working on the highway could be anybody’s brother, sister, father or mother, so be mindful,” said Berkhimer. “Take it serious as you travel through these work zones.”
Sources: MDOT, USA Today, Associated Press, Maryland.gov
