As road construction spikes, so do work zone deaths
Iowa is wrapping up one of its busiest years ever for road construction — and one of its worst years for traffic deaths in highway work zones.
Willie Holley, a flagger on a construction project on U.S. Highway 61 in Scott County, was one of 13 people killed in Iowa work zones this year. He died Sept. 1, when the driver of a speeding car apparently lost control near the southeast Iowa town of Blue Grass.
Authorities said a deputy had spotted the speeding vehicle, but it entered the work zone before she could pull it over. Investigators said the driver tried to exit the highway but instead careened into the construction area, striking Holley, who was pronounced dead at a Davenport hospital.
The 13 deaths have raised questions about whether Iowa is doing enough to prevent work zone fatalities.
Holley, 62, of Rock Island, Ill., was a grandfather who was less than a month away from retirement. He had told friends and family members he was worried it was no longer safe in Iowa's work zones.
"There wasn't anybody in the business who was more safety conscious than Willie," said Brad Long, business manager of Local 309 of the Laborers Union in Rock Island.
The Iowa Department of Transportation reports that $642 million worth of road construction work was accomplished on state and interstate highways through Nov. 30 for the 2016 construction season. That means the Iowa DOT will finish 2016 either close to or surpassing the record year of 2015, when $677 million in work was completed.
But that work came at the price of 13 deaths in Iowa highway work zones, marking the second-most deadly year since the DOT started tracking work zone crashes in 1978. Twelve motorists were killed; Holley was the sole road construction worker to die. The only worse year was when 17 people died in work zones in 1999. Last year brought five deaths.
Traffic safety experts say a combination of factors has contributed to the increase in work zone fatalities.
"A lot more folks are on the road because gas prices are lower, which means there is a potential for more crashes," said Mark Bortle, a DOT traffic safety engineer in Ames. Furthermore, the large amount of state highway construction means more work zones — as many as 500 statewide from March through November, according to DOT officials.
Traffic fatalities up overall
Patrick Hoye, chief of the Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau, said the increase in work zone deaths is part of a "very disturbing trend" that has seen overall Iowa traffic fatalities soar in 2016. As of Dec. 16, 377 fatalities were reported, up 26 percent from the 299 deaths for the same period last year.
One of Hoye's biggest concerns is distracted driving, which he said is often under-reported. "When we see rear-end collisions in work zones, or lane departures where they are just leaving the road, we believe those are indicators of distraction."
Hoye said he's especially worried about motorists who are texting while they drive because their hands are removed from the steering wheel, their eyes are off the road, and their thought process is diverted to another task.
In an effort to reduce work zone vehicle crashes, state troopers and DOT motor vehicle enforcement officers provide increased enforcement along road construction projects. Violators of traffic laws in work zones also pay stiffer fines. Work zones are marked with orange and black signs and traffic safety devices. Electronic message boards are sometimes used to urge caution.
But some critics say Iowa isn't doing enough to assure work zone safety. First Assistant Scott County Attorney Amy DeVine, who prosecuted the driver who killed Holley, said she was disappointed the Iowa Legislature hasn't approved tougher sentences for drivers who cause work zone injuries and deaths.
"They are all tragic, but here this guy was working and was holding a slow-down sign. It just breaks your heart," DeVine said.
Union leader Long, who knew Holley well, contends the Iowa DOT, as it works to hold down construction expenses, isn't taking work zone safety seriously enough.
"Safety should be a top priority before any cost," he said. DOT officials have said they are as concerned as anybody about trying to curb deaths and injuries in work zones.
Holley grew up in Chicago and had been a member of Local 309 of the Laborers Union for 22 years. He was survived by four children, six grandchildren; two brothers and four sisters. Holley's obituary, published by the Dispatch/Argus, said he enjoyed gardening, working out at a family fitness center, photography and spending time with his family; especially his grandchildren. A friend said Holley had visited a zoo with twin grandsons on the Sunday before his death.
The driver of the vehicle that struck Holley was Sebon Cordell Reese, 19, of Davenport. Reese pleaded guilty in November in Scott County District Court to homicide by vehicle-reckless driving, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison; and eluding or attempting to elude while participating in a felony, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
David Treimer, a Davenport lawyer who represents Reese, said his client has accepted a plea bargain and is expected to serve up to 15 years in Iowa's prisons. He said his client has expressed remorse for Holley's death, but he declined to comment further. Reese is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 5.
Another high-profile fatal crash in a work zone occurred in June on Interstate Highway 35 near Martensdale, which is south of Des Moines in Warren County. One person was killed and another was injured in an area where traffic was restricted to two lanes instead of the usual four lanes. Troopers said a car went out of control and crossed a divider, colliding head-on with an oncoming semi-trailer.
Just a month earlier, another major crash had happened in the same location on I-35 in Warren County, when three people were injured in a three-vehicle, head-on collision. The interstate was under the same construction pattern at that time, too.
Over the past decade, Iowa has averaged 656 work zone crashes annually, DOT records show.
Road spending rises
The increase in work zone fatalities has occurred as the Iowa DOT makes plans to bolster state and federal spending on road projects. The DOT's five-year construction plan totals $3.5 billion in work to upgrade the state's 8,871 miles of state and federal highways and 4,103 bridges.
Cities and counties are also increasing road budgets in the wake of the Iowa Legislature's 2015 approval of a 10-cent per gallon increase in the state's fuel tax. The tax increase is generating about $200 million more annually for road and bridge construction, which is helping "tremendously," said Stuart Anderson, director of the DOT's Planning, Programming and Modal Division.
“We have seen cities and counties set records for the amount of work that they are doing this year," Anderson said.
Mitch Dillavou, director of the DOT's Highway Division, said progress on Iowa road construction projects was initially hampered this year by a very wet spring and summer. "But we caught up and made up a lot of work in the fall," he said. However, some projects won't be completed until next year, including an overpass bridge on 54th Street that crosses I-35 near Ankeny, he said.
FULL LIST: What highways are set to be upgraded in new DOT plan?
The DOT's work this year has included reconstruction projects on Interstate Highway 29 in Sioux City and on the urban interstate system in Council Bluffs, and preliminary work for a project to replace the Interstate Highway 74 bridge over the Mississippi River in Bettendorf. There's also been continued progress on finishing an expansion of U.S. Highway 20 from two lanes to four lanes in western Iowa, which should allow completion of the four-lane expressway between Dubuque and Sioux City by late 2018.
Statewide, the DOT has been patching roads, replacing bridges, installing new asphalt to overlay aging pavement, repairing guardrails and fixing traffic signs. With the arrival of snow and frigid temperatures, Bortle said most road construction has been halted, although some work will continue, including work on bridges.
One project just starting this month involves preliminary earth and bridge work on I-35 south of Ames. DOT officials said road construction work at this time will not require a change to travel patterns on I-35. However, in early May, the southbound I-35 off-ramp to westbound U.S. 30 and the westbound U.S. 30 exit ramp to Dayton Avenue will be closed for up to three months.
Work zone safety tips
STAY ALERT. Dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. Signs and work zone employees with flags save lives.
TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS. Workers and other motorists must see you.
DON’T TAILGATE.
DON’T SPEED. Note the posted speed limits in and around the work zone.
KEEP UP WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW.
DON'T CHANGE LANES IN THE WORK ZONE.
MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS. Avoid changing radio stations and using mobile phones while driving in the work zone.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. Keep an eye out for workers and their equipment.
BE PATIENT. Remember that work zone crew members are working to improve your future ride.
Winter driving tips
CHECK FORECAST AND ROAD CONDITIONS. Check your local media, call 511, or go online for information. If conditions are expected to be less than ideal, you may want to postpone a discretionary trip or use more caution if the trip cannot be delayed.
DON'T SPEED. Always maintain a reasonable speed and safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you. Winter road conditions often result in longer stopping distances and reduced visibility. Drive below the posted speed limit when road conditions are less than ideal. Speed limits are intended for normal pavement conditions.
TURN ON LIGHTS. Keep head and tail lights clear of snow.
DON'T USE CRUISE CONTROL. You need to be in control of your car when accelerating based on road conditions. If your car is equipped with anti-lock brakes, understand how to use them and what to expect when they are used. Don’t drive through “white out” conditions.
BE PATIENT. Wait it out until conditions improve. Be aware that ramps and bridges may freeze before other roadway segments.
Travel information
Road condition information: Dial 511 in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. If calling from out of state or from a phone system not participating in the 511 program, dial 800-288-1047 or go to www.511ia.org
Weather information: Iowa — www.weatherview.iowadot.gov. National Weather Service — www.weather.gov
Source: Iowa Department of Transportation
Heavy holiday traffic expected
More than 103 million Americans will travel during the Christmas and New Year's holiday period, from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2, according to AAA.
This represents a 1.5 percent increase, or 1.5 million more travelers than last year, and the highest total volume since AAA began tracking holiday travel data. A record number will be driving — 93.6 million — and 6 million will board airplanes. Travel by other modes, including cruises, trains and buses, will decrease slightly, to 3.5 million travelers.
The increase in holiday travel is being driven by additional consumer spending, a result of improvements in the labor market and rising wages, AAA said. Other factors include low gas prices and increased consumer optimism.
With the exception of New York City, warm weather tourist areas in Nevada, Florida and California top the list of most popular destinations for this holiday season, based on AAA.com bookings.