Construction suspended during Memorial Day weekend

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- To help holiday travelers reach their destination safely and efficiently, construction work on most major highway projects will be suspended during the three-day Memorial Day weekend, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Most highway construction in work zones will cease by noon on Friday, May 24, and will not resume until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 28.

"While most lanes through work zones will be open to handle the heavy holiday traffic, drivers may still encounter narrow lanes, lane shifts and rough pavement," said Don Greuel, chief of WisDOT Project Services. "They will need to stay alert, slow down, and not tailgate. Rear-end collisions caused primarily by distracted driving, speeding and following other vehicles too closely are the most frequent type of crash when approaching and driving through work zones. Peak travel times for the Memorial Day weekend are expected to be from noon until 8 p.m. on both Friday, May 24, and Monday, May 27."

During the Memorial Day weekend last year, there were eight traffic fatalities in Wisconsin. On average during the last five years, nine people died in Memorial Day weekend traffic crashes, according to WisDOT.

To prevent needless traffic deaths and injuries, more than 400 law enforcement agencies throughout Wisconsin will be out in force during the holiday weekend to crackdown on unbuckled drivers and passengers as part of the "Click It or Ticket" mobilization, which runs until June 2.

In addition, WisDOT is implementing its "Summer of Safety" initiatives. "Summer typically is the deadliest season on Wisconsin roads as traffic volumes and vehicle speeds increase," says Secretary Mark Gottlieb. "To meet this challenge, we will intensify our traffic safety enforcement, education, and engineering efforts to make the upcoming months a 'Summer of Safety' in Wisconsin."

A summary of WisDOT’s Summer of Safety initiatives is available on the WisDOT web site at: http://dot.wi.gov/news/images/2013summersafety.pdf.

Significant road construction projects that may affect highway travel during the Memorial Day weekend include the following:

Travelers can check online for real-time traffic information, including travel times, lane closures and incidents, at www.511wi.gov or by calling 511 on a phone.