Interstate 5 in Fife has a new, bright look, and the Washington State Department of Transportation hopes it's enough to catch your attention.
In early June, the department painted half of the standard white lane lines with orange in the Highway 167 Completion Project work zone between Porter and Wapato ways as part of a new pilot.
WSDOT is looking to learn whether the orange lines reduce collisions and speeding, and whether they improve a driver's awareness of work zones and ability to maintain lanes, especially in cases where old lane lines are still visible and can confuse drivers.
There were nearly 1,200 collisions in work zones across Washington in 2022, according to WSDOT, and around 22% took place in Pierce County. Drivers and passengers accounted for 95% of the people injured in work zone collisions, according to Tom Slimak, project engineer for the Highway 167 project.
"Work zone collisions don't just affect construction crews," Slimak said in a statement. "We want to make sure everyone gets home safely. Orange striping could be one more tool in our toolbox to make sure that happens."
Responding to workers' plea to crack down on drivers speeding dangerously close to crews, lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill in April authorizing the use of automated camera enforcement in work zones on state highways. The cameras, which won't be deployed until July 2024, will only be in use when workers are present.
States like California, Kentucky, Texas and Wisconsin have also painted orange lane stripes in work zones, though there are variations. While other states have painted next to white lane lines or completely replaced them, WSDOT is using orange to replace half of the white stripes.
In addition to analyzing data on speed, collisions and lane changes, the department is also collecting feedback in a survey through July 30. The department expects to submit results to the Federal Highway Administration in early 2024, which will add to data from other states. To take the survey, visit st.news/workzonesurvey.
