RALEIGH - The following are highlights from this week at the N.C. Department of Transportation. The stories below are also featured in
NCDOT Now, the department's weekly newscast.
National Work Zone Awareness Week
This week North Carolina hosted the National Work Zone Awareness week, kicking off events at the Kerr Scott Building in Raleigh.
State and federal transportation officials gathered at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds Tuesday to host this year's kickoff.
The annual campaign raises awareness about the critical importance of work zone safety for all those who work and travel on our roads.
Secretary Joey Hopkins emphasized safety as a top priority at NCDOT and commended the efforts of the individuals who work to improve our state's infrastructure.
"If there's one message that should resonate with everybody today it's this, we are all responsible when it comes to work zone safety," said Hopkins.
One of these individuals is BJ Drewery, a roadway inspector at the department.
Drewery spoke about the importance of drivers paying attention and slowing down in work zone areas.
"As you drive through our work zone, keep me and my coworkers and those who drive through our work zone safe. As a husband, a father and a friend, I encourage you to navigate through the work zone safely."
The theme for this year's campaign, "Respect the zone so we all get home" is a stark reminder that everyone plays a part to ensure that we return home safely at the end of each day.
HAWKS Program
In another effort to help maintain safety in work zones, NCDOT is working with off-duty law enforcement officers to increase drivers’ awareness.
The HAWKS Program, short for Helping All Workzones Keep Safe, is a joint initiative between NCDOT and the North Carolina Highway Patrol to utilize off-duty officers to monitor and patrol work zones.
This program provides a visual reminder to drive with caution, while improving mobility and safety for motorists and workers.
The program is funded with $2 million from NCDOT and is used to cover about 300 law enforcement shifts per month statewide.
Locations are chosen based on metrics including crash history, average speed and traffic volume.
Last year, HAWKS patrolled 56 projects statewide, generating about 31,000 citations and keeping both drivers and workers safe.