Motorists in Saint John are being asked to heed the warnings and slow down in construction zones.
It is necessary work but it can be frustrating for motorists and dangerous for the people working at them.
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“We’ll have up to 10 or 12 crews out at any one time,” said Mike Hugenholtz, Saint John’s commissioner of Transportation and Environment Services.
“A lot of them are doing work right on the roadway so we have a lot of people you know literally a couple feet away from passing traffic. People just aren’t really paying attention like they should.”
That’s why the city is asking motorists to look out for workers on the road, especially in the line of traffic.
There have been many near misses over the years, according to the city, with some workers actually hit by vehicles. Crews can and have left road construction sites they have deemed as too dangerous.
It is the law to slow down in construction areas, and police are given updates on work being done around the city.
“It makes it a lot easier for us to pay some special attention to some of those areas that are a major concern for us especially in construction zones,” said Saint John Police Force spokesman Sgt. Steve Wilson. “We’ll actually detail police officers to go out there during our briefings.”
Police say they won’t hesitate to issue tickets when necessary.
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“There are always consequences for not following the Motor Vehicle Act and officers issue a citation if there’s a violation,” Wilson explained.
The penalty for speeding through a construction zone is $172.50 and three points off your driver’s license.
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