Road rage on the mean streets As drivers' frustration boils over, construction sites getting increasingly dangerous for workers By: Joyanne Pursaga Posted: 6:03 PM CDT Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023 Last Modified: 6:37 AM CDT Friday, Aug. 11, 2023 Updates

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City officials are calling out disrespectful and “downright dangerous” behaviour by aggressive drivers near road construction sites, following reports the disturbing incidents on streets are on the rise.

“In some cases, people have ignored barricades and driven into active construction sites, coming extremely close to crews doing their jobs. Workers have also been yelled at, called names and blasted with exhaust from diesel truck operators deliberately idling,” a city release states.

“Everyone involved in road work is out there doing the best they can to make the roads better for all of us, and they deserve to feel safe while doing their job and (to) be able to go home at the end of day.”

The city is spending $159 million on more than 200 road projects this year. The season is expected to end sometime in November.

While the city doesn’t formally track complaints of aggressive driving where work is being done, it has been told the problem is growing worse.

“We have, this year, been contacted by some contractors with reports of unacceptable driver behaviour they feel is putting their crews at risk. We have not previously fielded such complaints,” city spokeswoman Julie Horbal Dooley said in a written statement.

“We have, this year, been contacted by some contractors with reports of unacceptable driver behaviour they feel is putting their crews at risk.”–Julie Horbal Dooley, city spokeswoman

Chris Lorenc, president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, said he’s also heard an increased number of anecdotal reports of “disturbing” impatience by some drivers during this construction season compared to previous years.

“It’s still a minority (of drivers) but I guess the extent of road rage and road impatience is manifesting itself a little more frequently.… It’s more aggressive. There are the choice words to workers, the middle finger, the speed, the sudden slowdown because they’re not paying attention, the speeding through the construction zone, the (close) proximity of the speeding vehicles to workers. The occasional pylons being run over or knocked over,” said Lorenc.

He said construction companies have noted an uptick in the problem, including recent reports of drivers attempting to enter unfinished lanes to evade traffic jams, which can be especially dangerous due to unexpected gaps in the road.

“When you’re driving through a construction zone, (act like) you’re in the dentist’s seat. Calm down, sit back, relax, respect the fact that this is for our own collective good and it will be over (soon),” he said.

Coun. Janice Lukes, council’s public works chairwoman, said she’s especially concerned about speeding, or at least a failure to slow down from the normal speed limit, when approaching construction workers. She said this is most dangerous when motorists must come within a few metres of workers.

Lukes believes the sheer volume of construction underway at the same time this year is a factor in drivers’ mounting frustration. Some Winnipeggers have complained on social media that the number of projects leaves them with no unimpeded routes for their commutes.

“You look at (Winnipeg’s) construction website and it’s crazy, it’s just solid construction.… We’ve had many years of massive construction. People don’t like it but I think you add the layer on that (this year that) there’s just a lot of turmoil in the world. People are upset about inflation, they’re upset about their salaries, there’s a lot of things to be upset about,” she said, noting post-pandemic financial fallout as an additional source of stress.

Nevertheless, the city’s aging infrastructure requires an extensive renewal effort and Lukes echoed the call for drivers to slow down near work sites.

“It really concerns me because there’s hundreds and hundreds of construction workers and lots of them are… university students hired for the summer who are maybe not as savvy to the craziness of the roads and the users,” she said.

To reduce frustration, the city urges drivers to build in extra travel time and check out its online road construction map to help plan their trips.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga