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Polk County’s Roads and Drainage crews want drivers to be alert going through job sites and work zones each day. Go Orange Day helps raise that awareness in the community.

This year, Polk’s crews will recognize the annual Go Orange Day April 13 as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week. It’s designated to help raise work zone safety awareness. It’s also a time for individuals and organizations across the country to show support for work zone safety by wearing orange.

In Polk, crews will participate in several activities through the week to raise driver awareness and information will be promoted on the county’s social media pages.

“Our crews are out working every day to help improve Polk County’s roads and that can be a dangerous job if drivers aren’t alert,” said Katia Delgado, an asset management section manager for the Roads and Drainage Division. “Distracted drivers and folks who speed through work zones pose significant dangers to both our workers and other drivers. We want everyone to get home safely every day.”

Those threats are ever increasing with new construction, both residential and commercial, constant throughout the county. That means more work zones to maneuver and an increase in the likelihood an accident will occur. Polk County is responsible for more than 2,500 miles of roadway that covers an area of more than 2,000 square miles.

In an effort to stop work zone crashes, this nationwide effort was first introduced by the Federal Highway Administration as a new component of National Work Zone Awareness Week in 2016.