WVDOH provides update on I-64 Barboursville work zone signage and safety review

The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) is expediting the next periodic review of the Interstate 64 work zone in Barboursville following two tractor-trailer crashes last week which shut down the interstate in both directions on Thursday, November 7, 2024. Both were determined to be the result of driver error.

A third tractor-trailer caught fire on Friday, November 8, 2024, near Huntington, temporarily closing one westbound lane. That fire was not in the work zone.

Jason Foster, P.E., WVDOH Chief Engineer of Development, said proper signage and safety measures were in place in the work zone, but that the WVDOH Traffic Engineering Division is taking a closer look at the work zone to see if there are additional signs or safety measures that can be put in place.

MEDIA: For interview with WVDOH Chief Engineer of Development Jason Foster, CLICK HERE.

Foster said that whenever a work zone has multiple changes and lane shifts as it progresses, the WVDOH schedules periodic safety audits to make sure proper signage and safety measures are in place.

Additional lighting has been placed on the crash attenuator. Attenuators are designed to slow down vehicles and absorb some of the impact in a crash, kind of like the crumple zone built into a car. Additional signage or safety devices may be forthcoming, and the WVDOH will keep the public informed with updates.

“They’re looking for opportunities to enhance or maybe reorganize the signage to make sure the driver has clear instructions going into the work zone,” he said. “We need to be careful not to overload the driver with more information than you can process."

Being able to read and understand signs is one of many reasons the WVDOH urges drivers to slow down and pay attention in work zones, where the posted speed limit is usually 55 mph.

“Drivers need to pay attention to the speed limit and slow down,” Foster said. “That way you have time to read and digest the sign to make the appropriate decision on where you need to be in the travel lane.”

Foster said drivers can consult WV 511 for real-time updates on road conditions anywhere in West Virginia. The site tracks crashes and road conditions on a minute-by-minute basis, and is maintained by the WVDOH.

“WV 511 is the most timely, updated information we have as far as traffic in the state,” he said.

WVDOH provides update on I-64 Barboursville work zone signage and safety review

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