Turnpike Lets You See What it's Like Working Highway Construction as Speeders Whiz By

By Alison Grant, The Plain Dealer 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For a glimpse of how hair-raising it can be to work inside a highway construction zone, head to the Ohio Turnpike's Vermilion Valley Service Plaza today.

A "work zone simulation room" is open at the plaza until 3 p.m., to demonstrate construction zone dangers with the help of high-definition footage from turnpike sites.

Ohio's recently expanded "Move Over, Slow Down" law requires motorists to shift over one lane -- or slow down if changing lanes isn't possible -- when passing a vehicle with flashing lights on the side of a road.

Nine highway workers have been killed while on the job on the turnpike since 1970. Across the nation, 23 highway workers are killed every month. The turnpike says its simulated work zone is meant to remind travelers that highway workers face injury or death every day because motorists fail to give them room to work safely.

The Vermilion Valley Service Plaza is at milepost 139.5 eastbound.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is highlighting work zone awareness this week, too.

ODOT has a record 950 construction projects scheduled this year.

A work zone can be a mile of barrels and barricades, or a single vehicle with flashing lights on the side of the road, ODOT Director Jerry Wray said.

More than 5,100 crashes occurred in ODOT work zones last year -- the equivalent of one every two hours. More than 1,000 people were injured and 17 were killed. State and national statistics show that motorists are twice as likely as construction workers to be injured in work zone crashes.

ODOT offered these tips for safe driving:

• Don't Speed. Reducing your speed to 45 mph through a two-mile work zone adds less than a minute to your commute.
• Stay Alert. In work zones, traffic lanes may shift or close; large, slow-moving equipment may enter or exit the highway, or other drivers may respond unexpectedly. Watch for barrels and directional signs, obey flaggers and be aware of workers and other drivers.
• Know Before You Go. Visit Ohgo.com or follow your local traffic reporters for up-to-date construction information