Highway Construction. What is the best time for highway construction and why?
The highway system in the United States is the backbone of our society. The highways allow people to travel for work, school, recreation, transporting goods, and more. But with that, the roads in the United States always need constant upkeep for one reason or another. Roads need repairs, and bridges require significant maintenance.
Why does road construction usually happen at night?
The best time for highway construction is usually at night. Traffic is generally lower during the nighttime hours, which lessens the impact on the local community. It is also safer and more efficient for the workers. Workers can complete the work more quickly and safely with less traffic, which leads to cost savings and increased efficiency. Night work is usually much faster than daytime work.
Here are a few tips to stay safe while working nighttime road construction:
- Illuminate your surroundings and yourself. The best way to illuminate yourself is by wearing a Halo SL on your hard hat. You can be seen up to a ¼ mile away. It’s 360-degree illumination. Providing safety in high-risk, low-light environments.
- Wear proper safety equipment. All personnel should wear appropriate safety equipment inside the work zone at all times. Personal protective equipment includes hard hats, steel-toed boots, highly visible clothing, and hearing protection depending on the noise levels.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Always be mindful of what’s going on around you. Avoid walking behind any vehicles that may be backing up or being in the swing radius of heavy equipment. Whenever possible, face traffic while inside the work zone or have a spotter available when your back is turned.
- Properly control traffic. The work zone should always consist of warning signs alerting motorists of upcoming changes in driving conditions.
- Create a safety program that all the workers are on board with and review weekly.
- Stay adequately fueled and hydrated. Eating and drinking is often overlooked but is an essential factor.
Our highway and road systems are critical to our society. The balance in building more roads and maintaining the current roads and bridges across the country is vital to keeping Americans on the road. Our mission is to help construction crews be seen in these high-risk, low-light environments.