News Release Archive
TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--MEN AND WOMEN AT WORK
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"The highway is our workplace," says Stuart Frickleton. "Our
safety is your safety."
Stuart Frickleton works in traffic control training at the
Department of Transportation and Public Works. It's his job to
ensure road crews and the motoring public are safe during
construction season.
Motorists should always be mindful of safety, particularly when
seasonal road work is under way, said Don Downe, minister of
transportation and public works.
"We upgrade roads to make them safer for the travelling public,
and we do everything we can to ensure our work crews are kept
safe on the job," said Mr. Downe. "Traffic control teams are
trained to monitor the flow of vehicles through construction
zones. They protect you, and our workers."
Motorists must look for, and react to, advance notice of
construction areas and adjust their speeds accordingly. Traffic
control teams keep motorists moving as quickly as possible
through construction zones without sacrificing safety.
During most roadwork, at least one lane is kept open and detours
are avoided for the convenience of the travelling public. When
detours are necessary, alternative routes and advance notice are
usually given to motorists.
"Drivers have a responsibility to safety," said Mr. Downe. "The
well-being of road crews is at the top of the priority list, and
we feel a responsibility to those workers in this reminder to the
traveller to slow down in construction zones and take their cues
from our traffic control experts."
This summer, Transportation and Public Works crews and private
construction and paving workers are carrying out some 100 major
road construction projects across Nova Scotia, as well as regular
patching and maintenance work. More than $120 million is budgeted
for these upgrades as part of the department's Better Roads for
Nova Scotia campaign.
-30-
Contact: Laura Lee Langley
Transportation and Public Works
902-424-8687
trp June 26, 1997 - 1:40 p.m.
