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.
Work Zone Safety
As the weather warms up and more people hit the roads, there’s a
greater chance you’ll drive through a work zone. The safety of you and our crews
is the top priority here at the department, so let’s make sure everyone makes it
home tonight.
Last year, there were more than 7,200 crashes and 38 deaths in work
zones across North Carolina. Distracted driving and speeding were the primary
causes of the crashes.
To help save lives, Gov. Roy Cooper has declared April as Work Zone Safety Awareness Month, and April
9-13 as Work Zone Safety Awareness Week.
“Every year we have people working on a road who never come home
because they’ve been hit in a work zone or injured in some way by inattentive
motorists or, in most cases, speeding,” said Mark Ezzell, Governor’s Highway
Safety Program Director. “We want to make sure that does not happen in North
Carolina this year.”
Motorists are asked to “Drive Smart. Do Your Part.” when driving in
a work zone by following these tips to stay safe:
- Don’t tailgate the car in front of you;
- Pay close attention to signs and work zone flaggers;
- Obey the posted speed limits in and around a work zone; and
- Do not change lanes.
For more tips, visit the work zone safety website.
Port of Wilmington Cranes
Last week, residents along the Cape Fear River in Wilmington were
able to watch as two massive neo-Panamax cranes made their way to the Port of
Wilmington.
The new and larger cranes, weighing more than 1,500 tons each, will
allow the port to service bigger cargo ships, which benefits all of North
Carolina’s economy as more container ships can be quickly processed.
Seventeen boats from federal, state and local agencies helped
safely guide the ship, which began its journey from Asia in January, up the
river to the port.
The cranes, towering above at 120 and 150 feet, are part of a $200
million investment in the port’s infrastructure, port customers and the state’s
economy.
Learn more about Wilmington’s growing port system at ncports.com.