‘Protected by a cone,’ Construction workers urge drivers to use caution during projects
March 29, 2022 7:20 PM Posted: March 29, 2022 7:20 PM Updated: March 30, 2022…
SPOKANE, Wash — Construction season is underway in Spokane. Hatch Road Bridge closed Tuesday for construction.
On West Geiger Boulevard, crews closed off a lane to finish construction on the roundabout.
Michael Adams, General Manager for Pavement Surface Control, a construction company, explained driver frustrations are taken out on them.
“I just saw a driver get frustrated, and have some choice words for us,” he said. “We’re not out here to make people mad, we’re out here to get our jobs done as quickly as possible, if they can just have a little patience with us, we’re just trying to get our job done and open the road back up as soon as we can.”
He’s pleading with drivers to help keep workers safe as the construction season continues.
“On the highways where there’s 70 miles an hour, 60 miles an hour, you’re protected by a cone that’s a foot-wide,” Adams said. “It’s a tough job so if people can slow down in our work zones and pay attention, it’s going to allow us to go home at night to our families.”
Anyone who incurs a fine in a construction zone will have to pay double.
“If that ticket is 550 dollars for negligent driving, you’re looking at a fine that’s over 1100 dollars because it was in a construction zone, and those aren’t mitigatable so what that means is those cannot be reduced,” said Sergeant Greg Riddell, PIO for Washington State Patrol. “Probably what we see the most of is speeding drivers.”
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