With construction in full swing across the state of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police (ISP), Illinois Tollway, industry partners, labor groups, local agencies, and frontline construction workers teamed up yesterday to start National Work Zone Awareness Week. The group came together to remind the public that safe actions save lives.

According to Gia Biagi, Illinois Transportation Secretary, IDOT is doing everything it can to fix and modernize roads and bridges, and offered a simple reminder to stay alert in work zones. Biagi also reminded the public to slow down and give road crews plenty of room to do their jobs.

To call attention to the heightened risks in work zones, JB Pritzker proclaimed that April 20 through April 24 will be official Work Zone Safety Week in Illinois. This year’s theme for National Work Zone Awareness Week is “Safe actions save lives.”

Multiple individuals gave speeches at the event, including 9-year-old Harper Stork, who says her dad spends a lot of time working in construction zones. Stork also explained the importance of safety in work zones.

Paula Crouch, Sangamon County Sheriff, also spoke and said it is always important to slow down, pay attention, put away your cell phone, and avoid all distractions. Sheriff Crouch added that drivers owe it to construction workers to keep them safe, considering the hard work they put in to maintain our roads.

Another speaker at the event was Josh Adcock, an ISP captain, who spoke about the importance of watching for workers in work zones. Adcock said law enforcement has handled 640 crashes in work zones throughout the state, many of which involved personal injuries.

Biagi also gave a 5-minute speech at yesterday’s meeting that can be heard below.

You can view the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Work Zone Data Exchange by visiting https://www.transportation.gov

To watch or listen to press conferences held by the state, visit gov.illinois.gov/newsroom