Work Zone Safety Worries Officials

Two people were killed and 59 others injured in work zones on Northern Virginia roads in 1999, a problem that the state’s transportation officials say will get worse as the number of road construction and repair projects increases. In August, a car swerved into a repair work zone on a Fairfax road, killing a member of the road crew. In October, the driver of a Nissan Pathfinder was killed when the car ran into a concrete mixer in a work zone. In all, 116 accidents occurred in Northern Virginia work zones last year. To that end, VDOT officials will host an event Monday at the Mixing Bowl–one of the nation’s largest work zones–to highlight the beginning of National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week.