FDOT Highlights Innovative Measures to Enhance Work Zone Safety During Work Zone Awareness Week
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — This week, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
is proud to join fellow transportation agencies, law enforcement partners, construction crews,
and community partners across the state and country to recognize Work Zone Awareness Week
(April 21-25, 2025) – a campaign which serves to emphasize the dangers faced by road construction
crews as they carry out essential work throughout our communities, as well as the critical role
every motorist plays in keeping these crews safe in and around work zones. This year’s theme,
“Respect the Zone So We All Get Home,” further reflects the importance of engaging in safe
behaviors while behind the wheel to ensure everyone– both motorists and construction crews–
are able to get home safely to their loved ones.
“Our target for a fatality-free transportation future has served as a catalyst for the thoughtful
and innovative approaches we’re taking to enhance the safety of our work zones,” said Florida
Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “At the end of the day, we want
everyone to get home safely to their loved ones, and we all play a role in that – from
FDOT’s use of technology and engineering countermeasures to the safe behaviors of people using
Florida’s transportation system.”
With a continued focus on enhancing safety across Florida’s transportation system through
prudent design, engineering countermeasures, and educational outreach within communities across
the state, FDOT has made great strides in its work zone safety efforts in particular, as seen
through the Department’s evolving and growing use of Smart Work Zones. This innovative approach
leverages portable, real-time technology to monitor traffic conditions and communicate important
safety information to both drivers and workers to further enhance safety and efficiency in
construction areas. By collecting real-time traffic data through sensors placed around the
work zone, timely adjustments to traffic patterns can be made, which play an essential role
in minimizing the risk of crashes and reducing congestion. Smart Work Zones also feature the use
of Variable Message Signs, which provide drivers with up-to-date information on lane closures,
speed adjustments, and alternate routes, helping them navigate through or around these work zones as safely as possible.
FDOT is also celebrating the success of last year’s Safety Work Zone Innovations for Today and Tomorrow
(SWIFTT) Challenge. This Shark-Tank-Style event brought together private stakeholders, industry experts, and
government agencies to revolutionize work zone safety by offering participants the platform to pitch their
groundbreaking innovations and technologies to the Department for future use on Florida’s roadways. The winning
proposals from the Challenge integrate smart technology and human-factors research to improve safety for workers
and drivers, utilizing a combination of LiDAR, radars, cameras, wearable smart watches, and wearable alert speakers
that provide workers with advanced warnings to seek safety prior to a potential collision. These life-saving technology
systems have been implemented on all interstate resurfacing projects starting in January 2025. Following the
resounding success of the 2024 SWIFTT Challenge, FDOT is planning to host an additional SWIFTT Challenge event
in June 2025. More details on this event can be found here:
https://www.fdot.gov/construction/SWIFTTChallenge/2025
In addition to these ongoing work zone safety initiatives, FDOT is close to reaching a major milestone with its
innovative, first-in-the-nation Lane Closure Notification System (LCNS), as nearly 50,000 lane or road closures
alerts have officially been noticed to motorists since the system’s initial launch in June 2022. To further heighten
motorists’ awareness of potential changes to traffic patterns in upcoming work zones, the LCNS leverages GPS and mapping
technologies to provide advanced alerts to drivers about active work zones or lane closures along their route
through navigation apps, serving as an important tool to protect motorists and workers and ultimately contributing
to safer roadways across the state.
To further enhance the safety of Florida’s communities and reduce the likelihood of crashes occurring in work zones,
FDOT has continued to work closely with its law enforcement partners to help motorists easily detect upcoming work zones
and enforce safe and responsible driving behaviors in these high-risk areas. These strong partnerships with local
and state law enforcement agencies are crucial to ensuring safer roadways across the state, and FDOT is grateful for
their selfless efforts to keep road construction crews safe.
“The Florida Department of Highway Safety and the Florida Department of Transportation work tirelessly
towards continued safe driving conditions on Florida’s roadways,” said Florida Department of Highway
Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Dave Kerner. “As we observe National Work Zone
Awareness Week, we remind all drivers to do their part, stay alert, slow down, and practice responsible driving
habits to ensure the safety of everyone on our roads.”
We all play a role in the safety of our roadways and work zones. Motorists can help make work zones safer by:
For more Work Zone Awareness Week information, safety tips, and resources, please visit FDOT.gov/WorkZone.