In 2016, the West Virginia Division of Highways began efforts to establish a statewide Fallen Worker Memorial for Highway Safety to honor those who have lost their lives while performing their jobs.
This effort was spearheaded by WVDOH District 3 staff. After a fellow employee, Randy Bland, was fatally struck while performing his job in a work zone, a committee formed to look at ways to honor Randy’s sacrifice. In doing so, they found that there is nothing, statewide, that honors the many men and women who have made the same sacrifice. The committee arrived at the idea to construct a memorial that honors all state highway transportation workers who died performing their jobs.