The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced on April 20 that it is participating in National Work Zone Awareness Week, which runs from April 20 to 24. The department emphasized the importance of driver caution and slower speeds in construction and maintenance zones, following a rise in speeding incidents across the state.
The campaign, themed “Safe Actions Save Lives,” aims to remind drivers that their actions can help protect both workers and motorists. According to CDOT, work zones are necessary for maintaining Colorado’s transportation system but present risks due to factors like narrow lanes and sudden traffic changes. In 2025, there were nine fatalities and 548 injuries related to work zone crashes in Colorado. Speeding remains the most common factor contributing to fatal accidents statewide.
Work zone safety has personal significance for CDOT staff. The department remembered Trent C. Umberger and Nate Jones—both killed while working roadside near Grand Junction on September 4, 2024—bringing the total number of CDOT employees lost in work zones since 1929 to sixty-four. “Every day, our crews and contractor partners work just feet away from live traffic to keep Colorado’s roads safe and reliable,” said Shoshana Lew, executive director of CDOT. “Every name etched on our memorial rock represents a life lost – a colleague, a friend, a member of our CDOT family. National Work Zone Awareness Week is an important reminder that when drivers slow down and pay attention, they help ensure these workers can return home safely at the end of the day.”
Nationally, data show an increase in overall work zone crashes between 2022 and 2023 but a slight decrease in fatal crashes during that period. Most victims are drivers or passengers rather than highway workers; four out of five fatalities involve motorists instead of crew members. In Colorado specifically, there was a notable decrease—a drop by seventy percent—in work zone crash fatalities from 2024 to 2025.
CDOT manages up to two hundred construction projects each year alongside daily maintenance operations throughout Colorado. Fines for most violations double within active work zones as part of efforts to deter dangerous driving behaviors.
To further address fatalities and serious injuries in these areas, CDOT launched its Speed Enforcement Program last year using Automated Vehicle Identification Systems that identify vehicles exceeding speed limits by ten miles per hour or more within construction sites; violators receive civil penalties by mail.
According to the official website, CDOT works toward improving quality of life through integrated transportation solutions across interstates, U.S., and state highways while supporting aviation and transit grants statewide.
As outlined on its official website, Lew serves as executive director overseeing transportation infrastructure with goals focused on effective multi-modal systems that enhance both mobility standards and environmental considerations.
The agency operates within the broader transportation sector emphasizing highway maintenance as well as support for aviation initiatives according to official information.
