Nothing puts a damper on a family outing quite like stop-and-go traffic. Budding excitement and anticipation disappear when orange “Road Construction” signs and flashing arrows indicate changing traffic patterns and delays. If you’re proactive, however, there are ways to limit the Road Construction Blues this summer. These tips can help you brave road construction season and enjoy all the fun things you planned.
Sean Wolf, vice president of Wolf Paving of Oconomowoc, WI, provides an insider’s take on the road construction season and his motorist recommendations.
1. Stay Informed. Most of the frustration with road construction occurs because motorists don’t expect it. Travel plans don’t always consider construction projects along the intended route. To avoid this frustration, stay on top of road construction projects in your area.
Follow your state’s construction projects by visiting your Department of Transportation’s website. This way, you can plan an alternate route to avoid construction or just know that you may hit some traffic slowdowns along the way. Also, look at local city or community websites, as well as major attraction websites. They often post the most current travel information for potential visitors and tourists.
2. Be an Advocate For the Road. If you run across a pothole, your city may have a pothole app for that. You can use the app to post pictures and locations of potholes that require repair. In addition, they may offer hotlines or online submission pages to report concerning road conditions. Sometimes, it’s as easy as snapping a photo, tagging your location, and posting it directly to the local public works department for repair consideration.
The key takeaway is that you can advocate to help improve the roads. Municipalities can’t fix what they don’t see. If you see a road issue, be an advocate and report the problem so it can be repaired.
3. Stay Positive and Think about Safety. At Wolf Paving, they love road construction and are proud of the work they do, but they understand most motorists don’t share those feelings. Road construction for motorists means orange cones, blocked lanes, and slow traffic. But remember, the contractor’s job is to keep the roads safe for you, your family, and your vehicle. They repair deficiencies in the road, lay new smooth surfaces, and help make travel easier in the long run.
So, as you travel this summer, think about the long-term positives of road construction and the safety of road workers. They’re passionate about their jobs and they want to work in a safe environment each day. As a motorist, this means you should always follow road speed signage and traffic pattern changes, and overall, be cognizant of worker safety.
Are you going to change the way you travel this summer to avoid road construction? How will you plan your travel routes? I'd love to hear your tips. Please share them in the box below.
