The daily grind for maintenance crews is no leisurely stroll in the park, especially when the park is replaced by bustling roadways and your safe zone is a sliver of space cordoned off by orange cones. In a bit to highlight the ever-present dangers faced by these crews, an Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Public Information Office (PIO) Intern joined forces with a Lake County garage maintenance team, discovering the adrenaline-spiking reality of life on the road's edge.
As cars whizzed by with speedometers pushing limits, the experience provided an eye-opening perspective for the intern and for commuters following along via a post on ODOT District 12 Cleveland’s Facebook page. "The PIO Intern went out with a maintenance crew at the Lake County garage and experienced first hand just how frightening it is to be working along the roadways with cars driving at high speeds," the post chronicled, serving as a stark reminder to drivers who too often forget the vulnerability of these roadside sentinels.
ODOT's maintenance teams are stationed on the asphalt jungles to reroute life's traffic with signage and cones, a duty that is essential for safety but often unnoticed in the rearview mirrors of the daily commuter. The social media outreach is part of a broader campaign to instill mindfulness in drivers with a straightforward plea to #SlowDown and #MoveOver whenever they spot vehicles with flashing lights, in hopes of safeguarding those who work tirelessly to keep traffic flowing and motorists safe every day.
