Road work zones seem to be everywhere here in the Windy City. So much so, that the Illinois Department of Transportation (“IDOT”) maintains an online map for the public, detailing current road construction work zones. It includes projects for roads, streets, interstates, bridges, and other infrastructure involved in Project Rebuild Illinois. IDOT organizes its information by regions and districts.
For those living and working in the Chicagoland area, IDOT’s Region 1 and District 1 cover most of the Chicago metropolis, including the six counties of Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane, Dupage, and Will.
Currently, there are fifty-six (56) active construction work zones in Chicago alone. They include:
- bridge repairs for Milwaukee Avenue Bridge (starting April 9), Oakton Street over Des Plaines River Bridge (starting March 27), etc.;
- improvements on Irving Park Road (begins first week of April); Illinois 53 (starting March 25); and
- rehabilitations for Kennedy Expressway/Interstate 90/94 (an ongoing three year project).
Obviously, with all this activity in the renovation, repair, and installation of new transportation infrastructure in Chicagoland, there comes an increased risk of people getting hurt. Drivers and passengers in these work zones are at risk of being injured or killed in motor vehicle accidents.
And all those on the job in these construction work sites face a daily risk of work injuries where they may suffer serious or fatal bodily harm.
Warns the Federal Highway Administration:
“The leading cause of highway construction worker injuries and fatalities is contact with construction vehicles, objects, and equipment. These injuries and deaths are preventable through a number of good practices.”
Worker Injury Dangers: Traffic in the Road Work Zone
Construction workers employed to help build, repair, rehab, or demolish bridges or roadways face unique workplace risks. FHWA explains the road construction worker may be hurt at any moment in all sorts of ways, including:
- exposure to toxins or hazardous materials (e.g., silica);
- falls (slips, trips);
- motor vehicle accidents;
- struck-by or contact with objects, machinery, or equipment; or
- weather-related injuries (high heat; extreme cold).
For safety agencies and advocates for construction worker accident victims and their loved ones, there is an understanding that coordinates these hazards with different areas within the road work zone.
However, the reality that all road work zones, no matter the project, must maneuver traffic against the standard pattern and around the ongoing construction work. This is inherently dangerous.
It is imperative for road construction workers to be alert to the risks they face at all times while cars, sedans, SUVs, pickups, minivans, and semi-trucks move into and through the work zone. The worker remains in danger, no matter the speed or number of traffic stops, until all traffic has left the active road work zone.
For more, read: Work Zone Accidents in Indiana and Illinois & Risk of Serious or Deadly Roadside Crashes In Work Sites; and Work Zones in Illinois and Indiana: Fatal Accidents, Serious Injuries.
Traffic and Worker Safety: Risk Areas of the Road Work Zone
Within the Chicago road construction projects, there are distinct traffic areas that need protection for the workers on the job. Things like signage and traffic control devices are a must. They include:
- the entry into the work zone or flagger’s area;
- shifting traffic lane(s);
- merging traffic lanes;
- closed shoulders and barricades; and
- exiting traffic at the end of the road construction zone.
Traffic control has been studied and certain procedures are to be followed in any road work construction zone. Those with responsibility for the care and safety of the road construction worker are to do things like:
Establish a warning area for the traffic that is coming into the road work zone.
Traffic should be made aware of an upcoming road work zone well in advance of entering into it and coming into contact with workers on the job. Responsibilities here include things like a series of warning signs or flashing lights announcing the work zone ahead. See, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) published by the FHWA.
Creating a buffer in the work zone between workers and the traffic moving through it.
As the drivers are asked to move into an alternative path or route because of the road construction, they enter into a transition area. Worker safety here needs things like tapers and buffers that keep workers safe from accidents.
A transition area involves strategically planned tapers and buffer zones whose placement is critical to protecting workers from injury. There are different types of tapers for different needs. And all calculations must be exact. A taper that is too short by mistake will not give a trucker enough time to move the rig as needed into the temporary lanes, and a crash can result. For more, see the online Taper Length Calculator provided by the American Concrete Pavement Association.
Forming protections within the road construction site itself.
A road construction workplace meanders and evolves. The workers are doing their jobs in various places where there is a need for all sorts of expertise, from construction itself (including welding; crane operation; etc.) to things like utility work; demolition; and more. All these workers must be protected from the specific hazards that come within their unique worksite within the road work zone.
Added to this is the legal duty for those with custody, control, or possession of the road construction workplace is the responsibility to make sure that while these workers are on task, they are kept safe from the traffic flow. This requires things like barricades; warning signs; established distance between work areas and traffic; and more. The work zone should also be clearly marked by appropriate signage and channelizing devices should be present as a barricade between workers and the flow of traffic.
For more, read: OSHA Fact Sheet, Work Zone Traffic Safety.
Providing ease of exit for all the traffic as it leaves the road work zone.
Workers are particularly at risk as drivers, often frustrated and anxious, see they are coming to the end of the road work zone and are about to exit the area. From a safety perspective, this is the “termination area” and it is dangerous. There must be traffic control devices, warning signs, and a clear demarcation for the drivers of where and when normal road conditions resume, and they can return to normal speeds, etc. See, Checklist for Implementing Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras by FHWA.
Accident Claims for Chicago Road Construction Worker Accidents
For any Chicagoland road construction worker hurt on the job, there are laws in place that provide help not only for that work accident victim but for their family members (as defined by statute). These workers have the legal right to investigate the event and find out all the companies and individuals who may have legal liability for what happened.
Both workers’ compensation and civil claims may be available to the person who was hurt while working in a Chicago road work zone. For more, read:
- Damages are Different: Workers Compensation vs. Third Party Personal Injury Claims
- 10 Types of Workers Compensation Benefits After a Work Accident in Illinois or Indiana
- 10 Types of Injury Damages That May Be Awarded to Accident Victims
- Who Can Be Held Liable for Construction Worker Accidents?
The dangers faced by road construction work are extreme, and the core reason for these workers’ high risk of injury is the reality of continued and high-volume traffic moving through their workplace. Illinois’ renowned National Safety Council confirms that over half (53%) of all highway work zone workers who die on the job are killed in accidents involving the worker being on foot and being struck by a motor vehicle.
Several different contractors; drivers; manufacturers; project owners; premises owners and lessors; and product makers, sellers, or distributors may be discovered to have breached legal duties of care and safety which makes them legally culpable for the worker’s injuries and harm.
See:
- Premises Liability and Workplace Accidents: Third Party Injury Claims
- Task List for Chicago Road Construction Accident Victims Seeking Justice for Work Injuries
- Multiple Employers on the Construction Site: Who Is Liable For Construction Worker Accidents?
- Warning Labels: Danger of Serious Injury or Death in Accidents Involving Products.
Road work construction zones in the Chicago area are numerous and will be a frustration to many for years to come. Please be careful out there!
