This week is National Work Zone Awareness Week to remind folks on the roads to put move over and slow down for highway workers.
Since 1948, 112 workers for the Tennessee Department of Transportation have been killed in the line of duty.
Across the state, you'll see special displays to honor those workers including 112 orange cones lined up on the side of the interstate at I-640 near mile marker 8 in Knoxville. You'll notice other displays along I-75 at Exit 9 in Chattanooga, I-40/I-65 split near Demonbreun in Nashville, and 300 Benchmark Place in Jackson at the TDOT Regional Office.
Work zone safety messages will be displayed on TDOT’s overhead Dynamic Message Signs on interstates in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville.
This Wednesday, April 11, is “wear orange day”. TDOT asks you show your support for National Work Zone Awareness by wearing orange. The Henley Bridge will also be lit in orange on Wednesday evening.
Work Zone Safety week also serves as a reminder that winter can slow down road work so crews will be ramping up all spring and summer long.
TDOT has asked motorists to take the "Work With Us" pledge by using #WorkWithUs.
Click here to open a printable copy of the pledge to fill out.
The Work With Us Pledge states: "I want to do my part to help every TDOT worker make it home to their families each night. By signing the Work with Us pledge, I promise to move over and slow down the TDOT workers and other first responders while driving on Tennessee roads."
Last year in Tennessee, 13 people died in work zone crashes, including workers, drivers and passengers.
“2016 was a tragic year for our TDOT family; three employees were struck and killed by passing motorists,” TDOT Commissioner John Schroer said. “We have hundreds of employees working on our highways each day. Safe driving is everybody’s responsibility and we need motorists to work with us by moving over and slowing down for TDOT workers or first responders working along our interstates and state routes. Please pay attention to signs, reduce your speed, and move over when possible.”
Here is a list of TDOT workers that had died in the line of duty since the late 1940s:
1949 Joe D. Dabbs
1950 H.E. Crowe
1952 Oscar W. Heck, William A. Eubank, C.M. Dunaway
1953 Roy E. Crutcher, W.F. Rouse, Arthur D. Greener, Roy C. Holmes
1954 Arthur Godsey, Arnold R. Lee, W.C. Butner
1955 S.D. Newman
1956 George Grove
1956 Charles J. Pursley
1957 Clarence Swanner
1958 W.E. Moore, James F. Hall
1959 Charles A. Bailey, Hix P. Lewis, James F. Hicks
1960 Thomas F. Garren, Eldy Byford
1961 Ralph Smith, William D. Robinson
1962 Guy A. Stephens
1963 George A. Knight, H.A. Shiflett, Ben F. Simmons, James W. Duncan
1964 Ross P. Southerland, Robert S. Neese, H.L. Nease, John A. Carroll, Clarence Alsup, Wallace P. Burnett
1965 James T. Austin, W.H. Smith, Dorris W. Hyde
1966 Rudolph A. Brown, Earl W. Lannom, Eugene E. Hardison
1967 Anthony C. McRay, Jr., Cecil Vickers, Jim A. Damron
1968 James Cromwell, Thurman Anderson, James E. Williams, Billy W. Thompson
1969 Harvey L. Condra
1970 Earnest H. Jones, Lebby W. McCulley, Roy F. Thompson, Lofton E. Gately, Curtis D. Hicks, L.U. Moore
1971 Floyd H. Miller, Win C. Shanks
1972 Raymond E. Wright, James E. Garner, W.Z. Travis, John O. McDivitt, Raymond J. Moredock
1973 James H. Russell, Dave Lehman, Jr., Jasper W. Young, Sr., Thomas B. Wilson
1975 Harold J. Austin, Richard W. Gammon
1977 Johnny J. Cain, James R. Simpson, James E. Lyons, Billy C. Griffin
1978 Trulen L. Brookshire, Mark D. Doughten
1979 Jesse W. Jackson, James R. Futrell
1980 L.R. Masengil
1981 Charles E. Marley
1982 David A. Welch
1983 Norris Cope, Jr.
1984 J.R. Wiser, Wesley H. Grimes, J.T. Tanner, Michael R. Austin
1985 Dewey A. Paschall, Clyde V. Lane
1986 A.T. Chadwell, Jr.
1987 Carl L. McGinnis, Loyd D. Cherry
1988 Ronald K. Brown, Franklin Powell, Sr.
1989 Steven W. Barton
1990 Michael A. Menzies, Don W. Howell
1991 G.G. Cortner, Michael C. Farley
1992 Benny H. Householder, Robert J. Pendergrass, Joe. E. Smith
1995 James A. Dunaway
1997 Sherman D. Payne
1999 Charles E. Greer
2000 James E. McNeece, Paul Herron
2005 Robert W. Fish, Jr.
2011 Robert Nowicki, Michael E. Dalton, Sr.
2013 Scott Jones
2016 James “Pee Wee” Hopkins, David Younger, J.R. Rogers