The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) is urging drivers to use caution in work zones following a crash in a Kanawha County work zone on Thursday April 20, 2023.
All lanes were closed following a two-vehicle crash around 4:38 a.m. on Interstate 64 eastbound near Dunbar. Traffic had to be directed around the crash through the construction cones. All lanes in that area have since reopened.
No one was hurt in the crash on Thursday morning. However, there were 800 crashes in West Virginia work zones last year, killing eight people and injuring 276. All crashes were avoidable.
“The West Virginia Department of Transportation is doing its part, look at all the road work going on,” Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E. said. “Now every West Virginian needs to do their part. You have to operate motor vehicles on these roadways in a responsible manner. There is no other choice to make.”
On Monday April 17, 2023, Wriston joined Gov. Jim Justice for a work zone safety press conference to remind drivers to slow down and pay attention in work zones as the WVDOT embarks on a massive 2023 highway construction season.