Cone trucks make work zones safer while keeping traffic moving

Traffic cones are one of the ways ADOT marks work zones, but putting them in place is a tricky operation.

Whether we're closing a lane to do routine maintenance or closing an entire freeway following a crash, the cone truck helps make this all possible.

But rather than walking into travel lanes and manually placing the cones, a two-person crew sits in the back of a modified truck and cones are dropped onto the roadway. One employee hands the cones to another employee, who places one cone between every dash line that separates the travel lanes.

But isn't that still risky in moving traffic?

We thought of that, too. That's why an attenuator truck follows behind the cone crew. The attenuator on the back of those trucks guards crewmembers from potential rear-end crashes.

The attenuator trucks - also known as "scorpion trucks" due to their design - absorb the impact of a crash while keeping the driver and cone truck occupants safe.

Meanwhile, members of the Traffic Operations Center are posting warnings on electronic overhead message boards to alert drivers that a work zone or closure is ahead and to safely merge.

"When approaching the work zone pay attention to signs and message boards, vehicles with flashing lights and move over," said Eddie Pruett, a highway operations technician.

Pruett's comments underscore that safety is a team effort and we all need to make safe decisions behind the wheel so that everyone makes it home safely.

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