Respect the Zone: INDOT marks official start of 2025 construction season, urges importance of traveling safely in work zones

Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 7:00 PM

The Indiana Department of Transportation officially marked the start of its 2025 construction season Wednesday afternoon. It recognized National Work Zone Awareness Week as maintenance and construction projects begin across the state.

INDOT Commissioner Lyndsay Quist was joined by Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure Matt Ubelhor, Indiana Constructors Inc., Indiana State Police, agency employees, and industry partners near the I-65 Safety and Efficiency project site on the south side of Indianapolis to announce $3.3 billion in transportation infrastructure projects set to take place this year.

"More than 1,200 projects are planned this construction season," said Commissioner Quist. "Nearly 200 of those aim to improve traffic flow and safety, and over 7,600 lane miles of pavement will be resurfaced or replaced. It’s vital for motorists to keep safety top of mind when traveling through work zones, for themselves, other drivers, and road workers.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers or their passengers are the majority of injuries and fatalities in work zones.

“Just last year, 30 people were killed and more than 1,500 were injured in Indiana work zones,” said Secretary of Transportation and Infrastructure Matt Ubelhor. “While we’ve seen slight improvement in these numbers, there is still work to be done. We need help from drivers to keep bringing these numbers down through speed limit compliance, putting the phone down behind the wheel, and driving unimpaired.”