Ignoring the speed limit signs through the construction site along Interstate 26 turned LeRoy Durant’s work zone into a danger zone.
“I got hit by a guy doing 65 in a 45. There's just no excuse,” he said.
Since the wreck, Durant has been in rehab for his injuries. The US Group Inc reported 14 rear-ends since starting the project in the Fall of 2008. And since May, they’ve reported three of them. Workers also deal with drivers throwing trash out their cars and drivers missing lane closure signs.
“We just want these people to slow down a little bit. Pay more attention to the signs and to the work we are trying to do out here,” Durant said. “Look out for those guys who are in the work zones.”
Two other workers have been hit on the job and several work trucks have been damaged.
A special team with the South Carolina Highway Patrol monitors the area, and since last August the teams wrote 1227 tickets for speeding and issued more than 2,000 warnings. They said even when work crews aren't on site, the speed limit is still 45 MPH.
Construction crews said drivers should expect more construction, too. As the project continues, crews will shut two of the three lanes in both directions over night.
Once the project is finished, the interstate will have an extra lane in both directions, a center divider with lighting for safety, and revamped interchanges at Aviation and Remount Roads. The deadline for completion is June 2011, but crews said they expected to finish early.
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