Kinsley Construction recently awarded Howell Surveying the layout for SR 581 repairs from Lemoyne to I-81. With connections to I-83, I-76 and I-83, this section of road is heavily traveled and a hub for trucking that also moves many commuters in and around the State’s Capital. The project upgrades will improve safety and repair many sections of concrete paving along this seven-mile section, known as the Capital Beltway or the Harrisburg Expressway.

Due to the density of traffic and narrow shoulders, the work needed to be done at night and under the protection of a crash truck. Marking both sides of the baseline for the entire length equated to more than a half marathon. Walking this far for this long in the night provides lots of time to think about nearly anything.

However, working at night on a highway is a tricky endeavor and requires focus, not leaving much room for letting your mind wander. Kinsley provided excellent protection with skilled operators, but sometimes that can give you false confidence. Too often, commuters would drive very close through the layout, even though they had an arrow board. Imagine having two lanes and a shoulder for the layout … I’m in front of the crash truck walking. You would think it would be safe at 3:00 AM, but multiple times, vehicles passed within a few feet of where I stood, traveling at over 70 MPH.

Our Mechanicsburg office is now a few miles away from this project, providing a short commute. That is about the same distance away from a project where three road workers, unfortunately, died along I-83, just last year. There, tragically, a box truck hit the crash truck and arrow board, before striking and killing the workers.

Please be mindful that construction season is upon us, and many families are waiting for their loved ones to come home from work. When you travel through work zones, slow down and move over. Cones are not made of steel and concrete, and neither are people.