This week is National Work Zone Awareness Week, and Whatcom County Public Works is using the moment to remind drivers of something that holds true year-round: when you are behind the wheel near road construction, slow down, put down distractions, and stay alert. Safe actions save lives, and work zones are places where the stakes are unusually high for everyone involved.
Whatcom County enters spring construction season with a number of road projects either underway or soon to begin. Most visibly, Old Samish Road is closing to through traffic starting Monday, April 27, as part of a major fish passage project near Chuckanut Creek. WSDOT contractor crews will be working in and around the I-5 corridor in that area through the end of the year, which means an extended period of altered traffic patterns for south Bellingham and the Lake Samish area.
National Work Zone Awareness Week, coordinated by the Federal Highway Administration, runs annually in April to highlight driver behavior around construction zones. Statistics from the FHWA consistently show that a significant share of work zone fatalities involve speeding and distracted driving. The message from transportation agencies at the federal, state, and local level is consistent: the posted speed limit in a work zone is not a suggestion, and the time saved by driving through at highway speed is not worth the risk to workers or other drivers.
For Washington State drivers, moving over when possible is also the law. The state's move-over law requires drivers to move one lane away from stopped emergency vehicles, tow trucks, and road maintenance vehicles when it is safe to do so. When a lane change is not possible, the law requires slowing to a safe speed. Violations can result in significant fines.
Spring is historically the busiest time of year for road construction in the Pacific Northwest, as crews take advantage of improving weather conditions to complete projects that were paused through the wet winter months. In addition to the Old Samish Road closure, drivers around Whatcom County should expect to encounter flaggers, reduced lanes, temporary traffic signals, and other work zone conditions on a variety of county and state roads through the coming months.
Public Works officials ask that drivers treat every work zone with the same care: pay full attention, avoid phone use, observe posted speed limits, and follow the directions of flaggers when present. Flaggers in work zones have authority to direct traffic and their signals must be followed, just as with any traffic control device.
For information on current road conditions and planned closures across the state, WSDOT's road work page is updated regularly with project information, expected dates, and detour routes. Staying informed before you drive is one of the simplest ways to avoid unexpected delays and navigate construction areas safely.
National Work Zone Awareness Week concludes Friday, but the reminder is permanent. Construction crews are someone's neighbors, family members, and community. They deserve to go home at the end of the day, and that outcome is partly in the hands of every driver who passes through a work zone.
