The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) officially kicked off its 11th annual “Go Orange” campaign, reminding the public about the importance of driving safely through work zones to protect highway workers and motorists. The campaign runs from May to October, coinciding with construction season, and includes a special commemoration of those who died in the line of duty.
Poor decisions on the road can have deadly consequences. Forty-five PA Turnpike workers have died while performing their duties since the PA Turnpike opened in 1940.
“More than half of our colleagues work in the field, and they deserve to go home every day, as do all of the motorists who use our roadway daily,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “It’s why the PA Turnpike is committed to safety always, and we expect the same from those who choose to drive on our roadway. When you see orange – slow down, stay alert and commit to responsible behavior.”
In 2025, there were 179 crashes in PA Turnpike Work Zones, tragically resulting in one customer fatality.
While the Go Orange campaign’s foundation is public awareness, workers remain at the forefront of innovative programs that drive measurable results, including:
- Implementing a Subcommittee on Work Zone Safety: Launched in 2015, it meets monthly to review trends and patterns to improve work zone safety and mitigate future crashes and fatalities.
- Reducing crash rates by more than 20%: National trends for similar roadways over the last decade have either increased or remained consistent.
- New Driver Work Zone Safety Program: A joint project with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), this free, 35-minute virtual course teaches new drivers how to maneuver safely and confidently through work zones. Future steps include developing interactive in-person components, classroom resources, and incentives to encourage participation.
- Rear-facing air horn system to alert motorists if they are approaching a Truck-Mounted Attenuator (TMA) too quickly. Attached to the rear of maintenance vehicles, TMAs are designed to absorb collision impact and reduce crash severity. The PA Turnpike currently has four rear-facing airhorns on TMAs and are activated by maintenance staff if they feel like a motorist is distracted and is not changing lanes prior to a work zone lane closure. Maintenance staff have indicated that these airhorns have prevented near misses.
- Improving driver behavior through Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras operated in conjunction with PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). WZSSC has become a national model for the development of sound, effective use of Speed Safety Cameras as a tool to improve work zone safety.
- During 2025’s primary construction season (April – October), speeding in enforced work zones dropped to 15.8% of all traffic, with excessive speeding (11+ mph over the posted speed limit) reduced to 2% of all traffic.
- Enforcing speed through Operation Orange Squeeze, a partnership with PSP where troopers trade their cruisers for construction vehicles to put the brakes on unsafe work zone behaviors.
- Spring Overnight Maintenance Road Closures to reduce worker and motorist exposure in work zones. It is estimated that these limited closures reduce customer work zone exposure by over 400 hours and reduce the overall number of single lane closure shifts by 48.
