Rise in Colorado Work-Zone Deaths Concerns Lawmakers

A rise in deaths in Colorado road work zones has five members of Congress asking U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg how federal agencies oversee road safety and funding for states.

The letter highlights a series of deadly accidents that have occurred in Colorado construction zones so far in 2024. These include two women killed in June while stopped by a flagger; three people killed in August when a loaded tractor trailer overturned, and three people killed in September when semi collided with a van.  

Colorado Department of Transportation data show construction zone deaths have risen each year from 11 in 2021 to 28 in 2024. Colorado’s 2020-2023 Highway Safety Improvement Program, signed in April 2020, aimed to reduce fatal and serious-injury crashes 15% by 2023.

An unnamed contractor, according to the letter, has met with several Colorado politicians and shared details on CDOT’s safety plan and documents “illustrating that CDOT withheld traffic flow patterns from contractors, started new construction zones without the signature signoff of the onsite design professional engineers and improperly used safety equipment.”

Lawmakers asked for Buttigieg to explain the following:

• How the U.S. Department of Transportation ensures federal tax dollars are used properly by states.
• What procedures USDOT has for addressing safety concerns.
• What is being done at a federal level to address this rise in Colorado work zone deaths.
• What oversight USDOT has conducted over CDOT to ensure future compliance with safety regulations, and if not, what the ramifications are until USDOT is satisfied regulations have been met.

Lawmakers asked for a response to their questions by November 22.

In a statement to Equipment World, CDOT expressed concern for the rising number of work zone deaths, which it says  correlates with a record period of road work.

“CDOT pays particular attention to and proactively highlights the safety issues in construction zones because those areas are different than a normal roadway configuration by their very nature,” the department said. “It means that the problematic driving behaviors that we normally call out, such as speeding, impaired driving and distracted driving can cause grave consequences above and beyond what they do along other stretches of roadway.”

The department also had the following to say regarding the fatal August crash pointed out in the lawmakers’ letter:

“Regarding I-70 and Ward, the construction plans were designed in accordance with federal and state guidelines by a consultant hired by CDOT, sealed by the Engineer of Record, and approved by CDOT. CDOT’s after-action review confirmed that the work zone was implemented in accordance with the approved construction plans. CDOT took several further actions, starting with further lowering the speed limit in the area. The signage that was in place prior to the incident was supplemented with flashing lights and an overhead variable message board to draw greater attention to the work zone ahead. And after the project team noted that speeding was pervasive in the area as they performed driving reviews of the work zone, speed feedback signs were also installed, and CDOT partnered with local and state law enforcement to enforce speed limits.”

CDOT also said a fourth accident mentioned in the letter, which killed two CDOT workers, did not occur in a construction zone as the lawmakers claim.

The following members of Congress signed the letter to Buttigieg: Republican Reps. Greg Lopez (Colorado), Jodey Arrington (Texas), Sam Graves (Missouri), Doug Lamborn (Colorado) and Lauren Boebert (Colorado).