FDOT Highlights Innovative Measures to Enhance Work Zone Safety During Work Zone Awareness Week

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — This week, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is proud to join fellow transportation agencies, law enforcement partners, construction crews, and community partners across the state and country to recognize Work Zone Awareness Week – a campaign which serves to emphasize the dangers faced by road construction crews as they carry out essential work throughout our communities, as well as the critical role every motorist plays in keeping these crews safe in and around work zones. This year’s theme, “Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” further reflects the importance of engaging in safe behaviors while behind the wheel to ensure everyone– both motorists and construction crews– are able to get home safely to their loved ones.

“Our target for a fatality-free transportation future has served as a catalyst for the thoughtful and innovative approaches we’re taking to enhance the safety of our work zones,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “At the end of the day, we want everyone to get home safely to their loved ones, and we all play a role in that – from FDOT’s use of technology and engineering countermeasures to the safe behaviors of people using Florida’s transportation system.”

With a continued focus on enhancing safety across Florida’s transportation system through prudent design, engineering countermeasures, and educational outreach within communities across the state, FDOT has made great strides in its work zone safety efforts in particular, as seen through the Department’s evolving and growing use of Smart Work Zones. This innovative approach leverages portable, real-time technology to monitor traffic conditions and communicate important safety information to both drivers and workers to further enhance safety and efficiency in construction areas. By collecting real-time traffic data through sensors placed around the work zone, timely adjustments to traffic patterns can be made, which play an essential role in minimizing the risk of crashes and reducing congestion. Smart Work Zones also feature the use of Variable Message Signs, which provide drivers with up-to-date information on lane closures, speed adjustments, and alternate routes, helping them navigate through or around these work zones as safely as possible.

FDOT is also celebrating the success of last year’s Safety Work Zone Innovations for Today and Tomorrow (SWIFTT) Challenge. This Shark-Tank-Style event brought together private stakeholders, industry experts, and government agencies to revolutionize work zone safety by offering participants the platform to pitch their groundbreaking innovations and technologies to the Department for future use on Florida’s roadways. The winning proposals from the Challenge integrate smart technology and human-factors research to improve safety for workers and drivers, utilizing a combination of LiDAR, radars, cameras, wearable smart watches, and wearable alert speakers that provide workers with advanced warnings to seek safety prior to a potential collision. These life-saving technology systems have been implemented on all interstate resurfacing projects starting in January 2025. Following the resounding success of the 2024 SWIFTT Challenge, FDOT is planning to host an additional SWIFTT Challenge event in June 2025. More details on this event can be found here: https://www.fdot.gov/construction/SWIFTTChallenge/2025

In addition to these ongoing work zone safety initiatives, FDOT is close to reaching a major milestone with its innovative, first-in-the-nation Lane Closure Notification System (LCNS), as nearly 50,000 lane or road closures alerts have officially been noticed to motorists since the system’s initial launch in June 2022. To further heighten motorists’ awareness of potential changes to traffic patterns in upcoming work zones, the LCNS leverages GPS and mapping technologies to provide advanced alerts to drivers about active work zones or lane closures along their route through navigation apps, serving as an important tool to protect motorists and workers and ultimately contributing to safer roadways across the state.

To further enhance the safety of Florida’s communities and reduce the likelihood of crashes occurring in work zones, FDOT has continued to work closely with its law enforcement partners to help motorists easily detect upcoming work zones and enforce safe and responsible driving behaviors in these high-risk areas. These strong partnerships with local and state law enforcement agencies are crucial to ensuring safer roadways across the state, and FDOT is grateful for their selfless efforts to keep road construction crews safe.

“The Florida Department of Highway Safety and the Florida Department of Transportation work tirelessly towards continued safe driving conditions on Florida’s roadways,” said Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner. “As we observe National Work Zone Awareness Week, we remind all drivers to do their part, stay alert, slow down, and practice responsible driving habits to ensure the safety of everyone on our roads.”

We all play a role in the safety of our roadways and work zones. Motorists can help make work zones safer by:

• Driving alert and staying focused.
• Adhering to posted work zone speed limits.
• Avoiding distractions.
• Watching for shifts in traffic patterns.
• Maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.
  

For more Work Zone Awareness Week information, safety tips, and resources, please visit FDOT.gov/WorkZone.