This is "National Work Zone Awareness Week," and construction companies working on highways in North Texas are hoping to draw attention. The Texas Department of Transportation says there were more than 25,000 crashes in work zones last year.
In those crashes, TxDOT said 175 drivers and passengers died along with 27 pedestrians, two bicyclists and one worker.
"We need to be the messengers for safety in the work zone," said Tony Garcia, who works with Buyers Barricades. "That's my job. That's my office."
Construction crews working on the $662 million expansion of 35W in North Fort Worth met Tuesday morning in a parking lot near the 35W/Highway 170 interchange.
"We're moving extremely fast because we know the less time we're out here, the better it's going to be for the traveling public," said Kyle Freeman, national safety director for Ferrovial Construction, which is working in the corridor.
Freeman said leading causes of crashes in construction zones are driver inattention, speed and drunk driving. He says work zones can pose additional challenges because the layout of the highway or location of exits can change during a project.
"Our work zones can change constantly," Freeman said. "You have to pay attention. Head up, slow down, don't tailgate and keep your eyes on the road. Don't be distracted."
Texas has had at least one fatal crash each day since November 7, 2000. TxDOT has been running a campaign called, "End the Streak," but Freeman said drivers should remember the state has actually averaged 13 deaths per day over that time.
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