"What the heck were you thinking?" is the frank message unveiled this morning aimed directly at motorists who’ll spend the spring and summer months driving past construction workers.
Officials gathered this morning at the Fort Garry Twin Bridges on Bishop Granin east of Pembina Highway to kick off an annual campaign reminding motorists to slow around construction crews as they fix the city’s streets, curbs and bridges through the summer season.
Photo radar units will be monitoring motorists’ speeds in roadwork zones throughout the construction season.
Radio and transit ads will blitz motorists with the message to slow down and take care when passing construction sites. "All workers, no matter where their workplace is located, need to be protected from harm," said Ron Lemieux, provincial minister of infrastructure and transportation. "In the case of road construction workers, the road is their workplace."
Chris Lorenc, president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, Scott Fielding, city councillor for St. James-Brooklands, Ernie Gilroy, CEO of the Manitoba Floodway Authority, and Tom Farrell, chair of the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, also took part.
The near-death of city worker Michael Pacheco, 27, hit on April 22 by a suspected drunk driver while working on Main Street, has highlighted the danger city repair and cleaning crews face on the job, but it's unclear if drivers have changed their behaviour.
Watching drivers speed near a massive bridge reconstruction project along Bishop Grandin Boulevard recently, Patrol Sgt. Randy Vertone, the Winnipeg police officer in charge of photo enforcement for the city, stands with another photo radar van near the point where the roadway is reduced to one lane by barricades. As Vertone speaks, a number of cars rush dangerously to the head of the line in order to cut into traffic at the last possible second.
More than once, the sound of tires squealing fills the air as vehicles slam on their brakes to avoid striking the signs cutting off the second lane. The area is clearly marked with red flags as a 60 km/h zone.
When construction on Bishop Grandin began on April 14, Vertone said it wasn't uncommon for 400 photo radar speeding tickets to be issued each day, with some of the vehicles flagrantly disregarding the law.
Three separate vehicles have been clocked doing nearly double the speed limit, Vertone said.
"It's a ridiculous speed to be going, especially when it's so clearly marked... you can imagine the accidents that could occur at that sort of speed," Vertone said. "It's more than just inattention -- it's definitely a purposeful act."
Since then, the number of photo radar tickets issued per day has dropped to about 150, causing the veteran officer to express at least some relief. "Some people seem to be getting the message -- but some obviously don't," he said.
"They have a responsibility to the workers... to themselves, and to everybody else on the road to make sure everybody's safe."
Vertone said drivers need to be mindful of the posted speeds that have been permanently reduced during construction, whether workers are in the area or not.
"People seem to think... if they don't see a worker, they can travel at whatever speed -- but in these particular zones, it's clearly signed with the standard speed-zone signs. These are dangerous road conditions and the unexpected comes up all of a sudden," he said.
Drivers can count on police to enforce traffic laws throughout the construction season, Vertone said, and that means regular patrol cars and photo enforcement vehicles.
"It's a top priority for the service... We're dedicating some of our resources to these dangerous areas to make sure that people get the message."
The consequences for unsafe driving in construction zones or elsewhere can be severe, whether they be injured people, damaged property or big fines.
In the nearly 17 years Ken Allen worked as a labourer or equipment operator for the City of Winnipeg's public works department, his experience with drivers was mixed.
There were a couple of close calls when he was nearly hit by a car -- despite the fact the zone was clearly marked.
"As a construction worker, it's a bit unnerving... I certainly felt vulnerable out there, even though I was well behind the signage and barricades," said Allen, who's now a communications spokesman for the city.
"As a worker, I needed to show up each day with a heads-up attitude about working in traffic."
The SAFE Roads initiative starting up today involves a partnership between the city, province, the Floodway Authority, Manitoba Hydro and the Workers Compensation Board.
WCB spokesman Warren Preece said Friday that protecting road construction workers and ensuring motorists see roadside job sites as hazard zones is vital as the summer construction season ramps up.
james.turner@freepress.mb.ca
The consequences
Regular fines for excessive speeding:
10-12 km/h over limit: $144
35-49 km/h over: $402
100-120 km/h over: $1,074
Fines for speeding in construction zones:
10 km/h over posted limit: $221
30 km/h over: $479
60 km/h over: $1,006
120 km/h over: $2,004 (and probably a criminal charge for dangerous driving as well)
-- Source: Winnipeg Police Service and the Highway Traffic Act
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