Dive Brief:
- A higher-than-normal death toll on Colorado roadway work zones has led state representatives to reach out to the U.S. DOT.
- As of Nov. 13, the state had recorded 28 fatalities in work zone crashes thus far for 2024, up 75% from 2023, and more than the two previous years’ totals combined, according to Colorado DOT data obtained by Denver 7.
- Colorado Reps. Greg Lopez, Lauren Boebert and Doug Lamborn penned a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asking how the agency investigates state DOTs and what oversight the federal government has, according to Denver 7. Missouri Rep. Sam Graves and Texas Rep. Jodey Arrington also signed the letter.
Dive Insight:
The letter also claims that an unamed contractor met with members of Congress and Colorado’s General Assembly. During the meeting, the contractor shared Colorado DOT’s safety plan and documents, indicating that the agency withheld traffic flow plans from contractors, started new highway workzones without the signoff of the on-site design professional engineers and used safety equipment improperly.
Lawmakers gave the federal DOT and Buttigieg until Nov. 22 to respond.
Colorado construction zone related crashes
| Year | Total crashes | Fatalities | Seriously injured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,957 | 11 | 51 |
| 2022 | 1,696 | 10 | 55 |
| 2023 | 1,878 | 16 | 63 |
| 2024 | 1,232 | 28 | 38 |
SOURCE: Colorado DOT data as of Nov. 13.
In a statement, Colorado DOT said it shared concern about the fatality data, “which unfortunately but not surprisingly correlates to a period of record construction.”
“Workzones are inherently situated in areas surrounded by live traffic and present safety challenges that demand the ongoing focus and attention of government and industry alike,” read the agency’s statement shared with Construction Dive.
Additionally, in reference to specific crashes highlighted by the state representatives, Colorado DOT claimed construction plans were designed in accordance with both state and federal guidelines and an after-action review confirmed the work zone in question was implemented properly.
With just under 50 days left in the year, Colorado’s most recent data has recorded about 600 fewer crashes and 25 fewer injuries in work zones than in 2023.
Road safety
The call to action from Colorado politicians comes just over a week after the Federal Highway Administration announced its first update to highway work zone safety rules in 20 years.
Per the change, effective Dec. 2, at a minimum state DOTs must use positive protection devices such as concrete barriers in work zones:
- With high anticipated speeds (45 mph or faster) or high traffic volumes.
- Where workers have no direct means of escaping motorized traffic.
- Where workers will face substantial exposure to motorized traffic (a work zone existing for two weeks or more).
The FHWA will also require state DOTs to perform a work zone programmatic review every five years. The review must include a representative sample of the state’s significant work zones in the time period.
The rule is designed to protect workers and motorists alike. Although highway workers often face danger, collisions more often kill vehicle occupants. Four out of five work zone fatalities involved drivers or their passengers, per FHWA data.
