Rhode Island Dome Going Orange for Construction Zone Safety

The dome of Rhode Island’s Statehouse will be illuminated orange for a week to encourage safe driving in highway construction zones.

The state Department of Transportation and AAA Southern New England are partnering to light the Capitol dome orange for five nights beginning Monday. Next week is National Work Zone Awareness Week, a campaign held every year in April to highlight construction zone safety.

Officials say around 700 people die every year in work zone-related accidents in the U.S. and over 40,000 injuries are reported. The vast majority of the fatalities are among drivers or passengers in the vehicles passing through the zones, not the construction workers.

RIDOT is encouraging the public to support its “Go Orange” theme next week by wearing orange pins or clothing.