205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 09/29/2014 - Multiple recent work zone safety accidents around the US have brought home the reality of the dangers to road construction workers from distracted drivers. Kittitas Highway presents its own work zone safety issues: the roadway is narrow and is further squeezed down at certain culvert crossings. It carries some of the highest traffic volumes and it has the highest accidents rates of any county road in Kittitas County.
With the start of the Kittitas Highway Safety Improvement Project coming up, County Public Works spoke with the County Sheriff’s office, the County Public Works Director and the County Engineer to get their input on work zone safety issues. “Excessive speed and inattention in construction areas lead to tragedy. Orange cones on the road mean traffic hazards or people working close by. Slow down and pay attention. Deputies will be working these areas to slow down traffic and cite violators,” stated Sheriff Gene Dana. Doug D’Hondt, County Engineer, said “Every year Washington State loses 1 or 2 lives in traffic work zones which is why we ask for peoples’ patience when traveling through the work zones.” Work Zones can present an unfamiliar situation to many drivers. Careful attention should be paid to driving through any work zone, as the driver’s action can impact the safety of everyone in the work zone. Most work zone fatalities are motorists and their passengers, according to the National Work Zone Safety and Mobility Fact Sheet. Driver-related actions that affect work zone safety include speeding, distracted driving (such as cell phones, texting, and radios), inattentive driving, and aggressive driving. The main type of work zone crash is a rear end collision. “According to the Federal Highways Administration, 4,400 persons die in road construction work zone crashes annually. We ask that drivers raise awareness while traveling through work zones to make certain everyone makes it home safely,” said Kirk Holmes, County Public Works Director. “It typically only takes a few extra seconds to travel at work zone speeds.” Remember – expect the unexpected in any road construction work zone. Dads, moms, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters work in road construction zones. Obey road flaggers and pay attention to the signs. Watch Kittitas County Public Works web pages at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/public-works/construction/default.aspx to learn more about county construction projects.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Kittitas County Public Works Department at 509-962-7523.