The country's National Work Zone Awareness Week began today, starting another spring season of demolition, rebuilding, and neighborhood rejuvenation. As such, construction zone accidents will be on the rise. Here in northwest PA, we are looking at more than $100 million worth of work to be done on bridges and roads. That doesn't even take into account the amount of work that will be done at private residences and companies. But private sector aside, $100 million worth of work on our roads and overpasses means that motorists from all over who are traveling in and around our region should be on the lookout for those dreaded orange and black signs warning us of "WORKERS AHEAD" and "CONSTRUCTION ZONE."

The generous allocation of monies from Harrisburg for our region will not come without the state capital digging into our pockets at the DMV. This past week, charges for such things as a copy of a vehicle deed and new picture ID or license will jump to over a 100% hike in costs. It's all part of Governor Corbett's $2.3 billion plan for PennDoT to make Pennsylvania the safest state in which to drive in all the union. After this winter's treacherous weather, accidents and deaths in both Ohio and Pennsylvania seemed to be up; however, those numbers actually stayed around average for any given year. 

State officials and supporters of National Work Zone Awareness Week are reminding drivers of a few safety tips and pervading laws that relate to work zones and construction areas. Governor Corbett is reminding folks to slow down when they approach a road work zone. "The safety of the people working there are extremely important," he said in reference to PennDoT and private workers. "It is a temporary inconvenience for a permanent improvement, so please, take your time," he added.

For your convenience, here are just a few of the major projects that will be happening in and around the Erie area.

The bridge on West 38th Street near Pittsburgh Avenue over Interstate 79 will get a $2 million facelift. Workers are supposed to begin towards the end of the summer in August and work won't end until October. The entire road on the bridge will be replaced and all vehicles will be detoured. There will be a total of seven bridges in the Erie area that are getting major work done. In addition to West 38th Street Bridge, the Route 98 Bridge that rides over Interstate 90 in Fairview will be entirely reconstructed beginning in July and closed indefinitely until work is complete.

There is other construction going on around Erie that includes work to sidewalks and curb ramps. Cherry Street will see a great deal of this work, especially around Central Tech High School. This sidewalk and curb ramp project was started last summer and will commence at the end of this summer. The goal of this project is to make walkways safer for pedestrians.

There will also be a roundabout built at the intersection of Route 19 and route 97 just south of Waterford near Circuit Street and Bobcat of Erie. This intersection hosts more than 12,000 passers-by each day and is a constant topic of complaint amongst locals and truck drivers.

As mentioned, this is just a short list of major projects. There are more than a few hundred smaller projects slated throughout town. Most of which should take no more than a day or two.

PennDoT's main goal is safety. As such, local and state police will be actively enforcing traffic violations in all work zones. As a reminder, we would like you to keep in mind that drivers who are pulled over for driving at least eleven miles per hour over posted modified speed limits will automatically lose their license for fifteen days. And anyone who is caught driving in a work zone without their headlights on will be assessed a $25 fine.

If you're going to be driving around Erie this spring and summer, then please be careful and cautious when travelling through work zones. Be sure to give yourself enough time to get to work or school in the morning if there is going to be construction in your area. Most of all, just be a smart driver. Always be wary of trucks entering and exiting sites, workers who are walking on or around the roadway, and pedestrians who might be rerouted due to sidewalk construction.

Source: WICU, "Work Zone Safety Week Kicks Off Flurry of Construction" 6 April 2014