With summer and construction season in full swing, the RCMP is urging drivers to keep their feet off the gas when approaching construction zones.
Corporal Deanna Fontaine says they’re paying special attention to a stretch of the main highway near Fox Creek. She says there will be added enforcement on Highway 43 between Highway 947 to the intersection of Highway 43 and Kaybob Drive, as the construction zone has become a problem area.
“There is a maximum speed where you can drive because of those road conditions, and safeguard the workers on site because there is a risk of being struck by passing vehicles that are moving too quickly,” she says.
“Also to reduce the risk of damage to your own vehicle, or vehicles of others, that may cause obstructions to your windshield, or cause damage that might cause difficulty to operate your car.”
Fontaine says there have been issues with rock chips hitting vehicles, and lower speeds can help mitigate some of the problems drivers face.
She adds when it comes to speeders, they will have an influx of enforcement up and down the stretch of Highway 43 between Grande Prairie and Edmonton.
“We have RCMP detachments,[and] Alberta Traffic Services… they rotate, go into different areas, and drivers don’t always know where they are going to be,” she adds.
Fontaine says even when it seems that there is no activity in a construction zone, there may be hidden hazards like fresh oil, loose gravel chips, or uneven pavement.
