Work With Us as Construction Season Begins: National Work Zone Awareness Week April 20-24

 

By JON NELSON

This year, Missouri Dept. of Transportation (MoDOT) and our construction partners are gearing up for one of the busiest construction seasons on record – with more than 1,000 active work zones across Missouri on any given day.

Such progress does not come without challenges. In addition to the temporary inconvenience and disruption that work zones can create, the unprecedented amount of work also increases the exposure of highway workers and the possibility of work zone crashes.

Last year, 24 people were killed in work zone crashes in Missouri.

More than 110 others were seriously injured.

Over the past five years, more than 5,600 people have been injured in work zone-related crashes in Missouri.

When it comes to the contributing circumstances, the same issues continue to pop up year after year:

• Aggressive driving, such as improper lane usage or following too close
• Failing to yield to other motorists
• Distracted driving
• Excessive speed

Behaviors like these contributed to MoDOT’s own vehicles being struck 50 times in 2025 while protecting crews in work zones – a significant spike compared to the 34 protective vehicles struck in 2024.

These vehicles are put in place for the specific purpose of acting as a barrier between live traffic and the men and women working on the roadways. These sobering numbers reveal just how close these workers are to tragedy at any given moment, with injuries continuing to happen each year.

That said, tragedies don’t have to happen. It will take all of us, drivers and workers alike, doing our part to create a safe roadway environment for all.

April 20-24 is National Work Zone Awareness Week. With an historic construction season on the horizon, MoDOT and our construction partners are asking all Missouri drivers to please pay attention, slow down, be patient and show respect for work zones.

As we look forward to the finished product, we’re asking everyone to remember this: Where there are work zones, there are workers. Please, do your part to keep them and yourself safe. Buckle up, put the phone down and work with us this construction season, so that we all get home safely.

Thank you for your support.

Jon Nelson is Missouri Dept. of Transportation’s highway safety and traffic engineer.