Louise Ortega is both a Fresh Green Light Driving School instructor and a writer. She combines those 2 worlds here, telling “06880”:
The improvements on the Post Road will be an ongoing state project affecting traffic flow on the busiest commercial district in town.
Orange cones, police vehicles, heavy equipment and flaggers will be a common sight for the foreseeable future. Lanes will narrow, shift or close as each phase is completed. Construction vehicles may leave debris on road surfaces.
Employees will be concentrating on their work, surrounded by loud equipment and traffic.
Construction work has begun on the Post Road, near the Roseville/Hillspoint Roaod intersection. (Photo/Michael Calise)
Working on America’s roads is dangerous. Highway maintenance workers ranked number 15 in on-the-job fatalities in the US in 2021.
Busy commercial districts present their own challenges to road crews. Drivers often rush, and are distracted as they go about their business.
Impatience can be fatal.
When drivers approaches a road work zone they must slow down, move over and pay attention. Lanes may be poorly marked, and a police officer or member of the road crew may halt traffic to allow oncoming vehicles a chance to clear the work area or to shift equipment.
Workers could move through the work zone, or appear from behind a heavy vehicle, and not hear oncoming traffic due to the construction noise. Sight lines will be obscured, especially in poor weather conditions. It is essential that passing traffic treats work zones with respect, and that all drivers remain observant.
Fines are doubled in work zones.
There will be a heavy police presence during the construction, and traffic laws will be strictly enforced. The improvements will add turning lanes at the Fresh Market intersection, and Roseville/Hillspoint and Bulkley Road North and South, 3 of the most heavily traveled intersections in town.
Proposals for the Post Road near Fresh Market.
Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas requests that all drivers be cognizant of the need to slow down and move over for all persons in the roadway — including police officers, construction workers and heavy equipment operators — during the ongoing improvements (projected to be completed in 2025).
No Westport police officers supervising road work zones have been hit by passing vehicles in the past year. Let’s keep that number at zero, and protect the people fixing our roads.
Be patient.
Slow down.
Move over.
Louise Ortega wants drivers to be cautious in construction zones.
As the vehicle continued toward the light at Post Road East at 15 to 20 miles an hour, it occurred to me that the driver was elderly or unfamiliar with the area.
