The 2025 National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is April 21-25, 2025. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will host the 2025 NWZAW kickoff event on April 22 with the theme, "Respect the zone so we all get home.”
Throughout April, Missouri LTAP, MoDOT, and FHWA, are offering a Work Zone Wednesday webinar series to spread awareness on work zone safety. Join them to learn more and bring attention to the risks of work zones by attending any or all of the sessions.
- NWZAW 2025 Series - Day 1 - Work Zone Review
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | 11:00am - 12:30pm
Dan Smith, Traffic Management and Operations Engineer, will discuss MoDOT's Work Zone Reviews. Dan will discuss the latest annual work zone reviews, along with a description of the process and areas of improvement.
- NWZAW 2025 Series - Day 2 - Pedestrians in Work Zones
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 | 11:00am - 12:30pm
Ron Effland, PE will be discussing accessible pedestrian accommodations in work zones, a basic requirement of work zone traffic control under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Pedestrians, including those with disabilities, must be addressed in temporary traffic control plans (TCPs) in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Ron has years of experience instructing classes on ADA in public rights-of-way and construction projects during his tenure with MoDOT. After his retirement, he became an instructor for MO LTAP where he continues to teach on this topic.
- NWZAW 2025 Series - Day 3 - Accurate Collection and Reporting of Worker Presence in Work Zones
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 | 11:00am - 12:30pm
Dr. Zhu Qing, University of Missouri, will present a project aimed at enhancing safety and efficiency in highway work zones using wearable technologies to track worker presence in real time. The team evaluates technologies like RFID, GPS, Bluetooth, and UWB based on accuracy, battery life, and ease of integration. Through field testing and implementation studies, the project validates these tools in real-world conditions and develops systems to incorporate worker presence data into safety reports and project management. The goal is to improve safety, emergency response, and coordination of construction activities.