Drivers in Elkhart County will now see police officers around active paving sites following several incidents last week.
Officials say they’ve seen more incidents this year of people driving around construction barricades as paving work is being done.
Last week a driver hit a milling machine, another driver rolled their car into a ditch while speeding on a recently resurfaced road, and a third driver clipped a worker with their side mirror.
Now the county has placed police officers at every barricade to deter drivers or to issue citations to the ones that continue to ignore the barriers.
County Commissioner Mike Yoder said they’re also reviewing placement of signage to minimize disruption, but people need to heed the warning.
“But the fact is the road is closed. That means there will be construction and unless you live on that road or unless you drive a school bus, or an emergency vehicle or a mail delivery vehicle: you should not use the road. Whether it’s closed two days or a week.”
Yoder said drivers ignoring road closures also disrupts, and could damage, the construction. Then workers will have to do it over...which will take longer.
