CINCINNATI — The Ohio Department of Transportation called all motorists to drive with caution and pay attention through work zones along Ohio’s highways. 

What You Need To Know

  • National Work Zone Awareness week is April 11-15, aiming to reduce accidents in construction zones

  • ODOT’s Milan Lanier shared his experience working along the highways

  • Lanier urges drivers to slow down and move over to ensure his and his colleagues' safety

  • There have been nearly 10,000 work zone crashes since the start of 2020, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol data 
​​ODOT highway technician Milan Lanier has worked for ODOT for 14 years. Every day he surveys Cincinnati’s highways checking for damaged guardrails along the highways. 

When he identifies a trouble spot, he pulls over, assesses the damage and marks it with pink spray paint. 

While he’s working to identify the problem areas, he’s completely exposed on the highway. 

With cars whizzing by, and not moving over as required by Ohio law, he said his job can be very dangerous. 
ODOT HT2 Milan Lanier urges drivers to use caution while passing road crews and driving through construction or work zones. (Tino Bovenzi/Spectrum News 1)

“It takes but a second to get hit out here,” Lanier said.  

Lanier said someone has before hit his vehicle and has also had many close calls. He said he does everything he can to stay safe, but it’s ultimately in the hands of the motorists on the road. 

“It’s every day that I get a close call, where somebody has drove over the white line, or someone is talking on the phone,” he said.

Heading into National Work Zone Awareness Week, motorists hit ODOT crews more than 70 times this year.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is an annual campaign aimed at reminding drivers to slow down and stay alert through construction or work zones.

ODOT public information officer Kathleen Fuller said work zone safety awareness is something that should be on the minds of motorists year-round.

“Work zone safety is just one of the things that we can talk about,” Fuller said. “But we also just wanna remind people of the need and reminder for the move over, slow down law, which is in effect, of course, and has been for years.” 

Fuller said it’s important for drivers to be as responsible as possible. 

“Anything that you’re doing that could be a distraction for you, you need to eliminate that distraction,” she said. “Simply keep your eyes focused on the road and keep your eyes focused on the crews working on the road or along the road.” 

Since 2020 there have been 9,783 work zone crashes as of April 4, according to Ohio State Highway Patrol statistics, and 454 in 2022 alone. 

Lanier said he just hopes to get safely home to his family each day. 

“If you see the lights, or see us setting up or working in the work zone, just slow down, take a second and move over one lane,” Lanier said. “That will give us the help and makes our job just a little bit safer.”