I-35W Bridge to be lit orange for Worker Memorial Day
The MnDOT Transportation Worker Memorial is seen in the Transportation Building lobby at 395 John Ireland Blvd. in St. Paul. (MnDOT)
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is honoring the workers who’ve died or been injured while working on state roads, Thursday.
It’s part of Worker Memorial Day, which falls on April 28, 2022, per Gov. Tim Walz’s proclamation.
As part of the day, the Interstate 35W Bridge will be lit orange to honor those highway workers.
MnDOT says 35 state workers and 16 contractors have died while working on Minnesota highways since 1960.
“Every day, road workers across the state put themselves on the line to keep Minnesota’s roads safe for everyone,” Nancy Daubenberger, MnDOT’s interim commissioner, said in a statement. “Those workers—and everyone traveling through work zones—deserve to get home safely. Please, slow down and avoid distractions in work zones to help keep our workers—and yourself—safe.”
The department says drivers are involved in the majority of work-zone deaths and injuries. With that in mind, MnDOT urges drivers to remember the following things when in work zones:
- Drive the speed limit,
- Stay alert,
- Move over to give workers room to work safely,
- Avoid unnecessary lane changes,
- Be patient.
The list of fallen workers in Minnesota can be seen online.