Crop of orange barrels to sprout soon in SE Indiana |

BATESVILLE, IN (FOX19) - The coming of summer means the arrival of the orange barrels along southeast Indiana roadways.

The Seymour District of the Indiana Department of Transportation covers most of Southeast Indiana, along with much of south central Indiana.  The second largest of their top five projects this summer will be on I-74 in Dearborn and Ripley Counties.

The state will be resurfacing the entire stretch of 74 between Indiana 101 (east of Batesville) and the Ohio line.  This area is near St. Leon, Bright, and West Harrison, IN, and Harrison, OH.

The is the second part of the project.  Last year they were working on shoring up slide areas along the interstate.

The largest project on the Seymour District's summer agenda should complicated travel in Columbus at times this summer.  They are continuing a project to add lanes and replace a bridge on U.S. 31 through town, blocking some side streets at times.

The third largest project is lane additions for State Route 131 in Johnson County south of Indianapolis. 

Rounding out the top five are two projects on I-64 in Floyd County north of Louisville.  They are adding a lane in a 1.4 mile stretch of that highway between I-265 and CR 850N, and they are resurfacing I-64 from S.R. 62/64 through State Route 135 in Harrison County.

Here is some advice from the state about work zone safety:

On average four out of every five people killed in highway work zones are drivers or passengers, not highway workers, so INDOT is joining with traffic safety personnel nationwide to stress “Safer Driving. Safer Work Zones. For Everyone.”  According to the ARIES electronic crash records system, 12 people were killed and 602 people were injured in work zone crashes during 2010.

Steeper fines and penalties await drivers who speed or drive recklessly through a work zone.  Under Indiana law, drivers can be fined up to $1,000 for speeding in a work zone.  Motorists who drive recklessly or aggressively through a work zone could face fines up to $5,000.  Drivers who injure or kill a highway worker may find themselves paying a $10,000 fine or serving up to eight years behind bars.  Fines paid are used to fund additional work zone patrols.

To avoid becoming a statistic, INDOT urges drivers to follow the safety tips listed below while driving through work zones.  Additional information can be found at INDOT’s work zone safety Web site, www.WorkZoneSafety.IN.gov.

• Stay alert!  Look for reduced speed limits, narrow driving lanes and highway workers.
• Pay attention.  Work zone signs will tell you exactly what to expect ahead.
• Merge early.  If drivers merge as soon as they see the signs, traffic will flow more smoothly.
• Slow down.  If you’re speeding, you may encounter slowed or stopped traffic within seconds.
• Space out.  Maintain a safe distance on all sides of your vehicle.
• Minimize distractions.  The three C’s – cell phones, CDs and coffee – are the primary causes of driver inattention.
• Plan ahead.  Expect delays and allow extra travel time.  Select an alternate route if you are running late.

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