Local Officials in Northeast Ohio Recognize National Work Zone Awareness Week

Construction season is ramping up in northeast Ohio, and today officials from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), Ohio Laborers Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC), Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP), and Kokosing Construction partnered to recognize National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW). This annual spring campaign started in 2000 and is held every April to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. This year's theme is 'Safe actions, save lives.'

The backdrop for the event was the I-90 work zone in Lorain County between the Ohio Turnpike and SR 611 where work is underway by Kokosing Construction.

According to the OSHP, there were 4,435 work zone crashes in Ohio in 2025, and 34% of these crashes occurred with workers present. Sadly, 21 people were killed in 17 deadly work zone crashes. Another 96 work zone crashes resulted in serious injuries.

"After a three-year decline of work zone crashes in Ohio from 2022 to 2024, 2025 saw an increase," said ODOT District Three Deputy Director, Bob Weaver. "Drivers must stay alert, follow the posted speed limit, and avoid distractions to help reduce crashes and save lives in 2026."

Speeding and following too closely continue to be the top factors in work zone crashes, which is one of the many reasons member safety is a top priority for Ohio LECET. In 2025, Troopers from the OSHP wrote 7,019 citations for speeding in work zones with 36% for speeds more than 20 miles per hour above the posted speed limit.

"Work zone safety is a shared responsibility. It's important that drivers realize that our members are real people working to support their families," said Bethany Billi, Executive Director of Ohio LECET. "Our members show up in the elements to improve the roadways everyone uses, and it's vital that motorists approach work zones ready to slow down and adhere to signage."

Work zones can include anything from miles of orange barrels or concrete barriers to temporary lane closures or a single vehicle on the side of the road making a repair. Traffic patterns change, construction vehicles are moving in and out, and speed limits are reduced.

Ohio Turnpike's Deputy Executive Director and Chief Engineer, Chris Matta shared, "If you practice safe driving behaviors on the Ohio Turnpike and elsewhere, you won't get pulled over by our friends at the Ohio State Highway Patrol. And more importantly, you won't become a statistic on a traffic crash summary report."

On February 28, 2026, a vehicle drove onto a closed section of I-70 in downtown Columbus and struck Jordan Thomas, an employee of Kokosing Construction. Thomas, 25, died from his injuries. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene and still has not been found. A reward of $110,000 has been offered for information leading to their arrest. Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. Tips can be reported anonymously.