Host the National Work Zone Memorial to highlight the risks of roadway work zones

Host the National Work Zone Memorial to highlight the risks of roadway work zones

The Memorial and National Work Zone Awareness Week spotlight the need for safe actions to save lives

People pause to reflect while viewing the National Work Zone Memorial, which was displayed during ATSSA’s Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in February.

Matthew R. Bellgowan, Sam Carrigan, Steve Ebling, Vincent Giammarva.

You probably never heard their names but they gave their lives while working to maintain safe roadways for the motoring public.

Those are just four of the 19 men whose names were inscribed on the National Work Zone Memorial for this year. The names on the memorial – more than 1,650 to date – represent a fraction of the workers who go to work but don’t return safely home, and the motorists, passengers, pedestrians and first responders killed in work zone crashes each year.

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is held each spring as the roadway work season gets into high gear. The goal – like with the Memorial – is to heighten attention to the need for drivers to slow down, eliminate distractions and focus on driving as they approach work zones because, as this year’s theme says, “Safe Actions Save Lives.”

NWZAW takes place April 20-24 with a national kickoff hosted by the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) in Farmington. Events are held across the nation with a special focus each day, including Wednesday, April 22 when people wear orange to increase attention to NWZAW and the risks associated with roadway work zones for both motorists and workers.

Nearly 900 people are killed in work zone crashes each year from more than 100,000 crashes, according to workzonesafety.org. The majority of fatalities are motorists, their passengers and non-worker pedestrians.

“National Work Zone Awareness Week reinforces the message we try to convey through the National Work Zone Memorial – that everyone plays a role in saving lives on the nation’s roadways,” said ATSS Foundation Director Lori Diaz. “We encourage all safety-minded individuals and groups to join us in protecting workers, motorists and pedestrians by participating in these efforts.”

The “National Work Zone Memorial – Respect and Remembrance: Reflections of Life on the Road” is available as a physical, traveling version or a digital version for display at events promoting roadway and worker safety. It will be on hand at the NWZAW national kickoff on April 21 and is available throughout the year for hosting memorial observances or safety-focused events.

The physical Memorial is a 20-foot-wide by seven-foot-tall monument with more than 1,650 names of people killed in work zone incidents. The Foundation also offers a 30-minute digital tribute. The ATSS Foundation’s fee for the physical Memorial covers shipping expenses to and from your site.

New public agency hosts that also hold a media event as part of their 2026 event may be eligible to have their fee covered. The digital option simply requires a computer and/or monitor to display during the event.

Utilize the online application to request both versions of the Memorial.

In 2025, the National Work Zone Memorial was displayed in both formats at nearly 50 events, reaching roughly 25,000 people.

“Help us spread the word about work zone safety,” Diaz said. “Statistics show, the life you save by safe driving through a work zone could be your own or that of your spouse, children or grandchildren.”