As motorists plan to travel Alabama highways for the Fourth of July holiday, the Alabama Department of Transportation and the Alabama Road Builders Association have announced changes to a state law to protect road construction and maintenance workers.

Effective, July 1, the fine for any moving traffic violation committed in a construction zone where workers are present will result in a $250 fine or double the regular fine, whichever amount is greater.

ALDOT said there will be no temporary lane closures on the interstate from noon July 2, through 11:59 p.m. July 5 for the safety of construction industry workers, maintenance crews and motorists.

The Alabama Legislature amended the construction zone law this year, as a result of an increase in the number of injury and fatal crashes in work zones in 2020. Preliminary numbers for 2020 show there were 2,378 work zone crashes in Alabama, resulting in 19 fatalities and 616 injuries. These numbers include road workers and motorists.

“As underscored by the recent change to our highway laws, unsafe driving in work zones can be life-altering and sometimes life-ending,” said Allison Green, Drive Safe Alabama Coordinator with ALDOT. “It’s to everyone’s advantage to slow down and follow the rules of the road when driving through a work zone.”

With the change to the construction zone law, fines are increased for not only speeding, but for any traffic law broken while driving through the work zone when workers are present. Those violations include driving under the influence, hit and run, following the vehicle ahead too closely, changing lanes without signaling and driving around barricades, among other violations.

“The law calls them workers, some may call them employees, but it’s more important we recognize they are moms, dads, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters that need to be able to go home to their families,” said ARBA President Jeff Webb of Ozark Striping Co. “We believe this law will help bring change to driver’s unsafe driving habits.”