There are currently 181 construction projects currently planned or in progress across Washington state. Road closures, congestion and traffic redesigns can be found on many Washingtonians road trips this summer.
Construction zones in the state are marked in advance and throughout the project area with large orange signage. You’ll be notified of how long the construction zone lasts and adjusted speed limits. You’ll also see signs reading “Give ‘em a brake” to further encourage drivers to slow down.
If you’re caught speeding in one of these work zones, you’ll be fined twice as much as you would for speeding in normal conditions, per the Revised Code of Washington.
The Northwest Service Team recently received a question asking if the consequences are the same if there are no workers on site. Here’s how the law works.
Washington state construction zone laws
The RCW defines what constitutes a construction zone in regards to driver expectations.
“A roadway construction zone is an area where construction, repair, or maintenance work is being conducted by public employees or private contractors, on or adjacent to any public roadway,” states the law.
A construction zone also includes “areas where public employees or private contractors are not present but where a driving condition exists that would make it unsafe to drive at higher speeds.” Such conditions include line restructuring and adjacency to ongoing construction.
Another example is cones redirecting traffic or outlining boundaries, which Washington State Patrol’s Trooper Chris Thorson says is often the case. When driving on a highway with cones on it, it’s not in its normal condition, making it unsafe to drive at an accelerated speed.
For these reasons, speed zones set in construction areas are enforced whether workers are present or not.
Even when construction times are posted, you must always slow down and follow signage in construction zones.
Keep yourself, and everyone around you, safe by slowing down in construction zones.
