(RCMP file photo)

ENFIELD: The members with East Hants RCMP in Enfield are passing along a request to travellers coming through the area–plan your routes to avoid or safely navigate construction zones this summer.

Road construction is necessary to repair damage caused by the winter weather or to improve roadways for your daily commute. However, road delays do continue to stress drivers.

Luckily, there are ways to reduce this stress. By researching your travel routes before taking off, you can either avoid road construction or plan to navigate it more safely.

Plan ahead

  • Arrive on-schedule by leaving early and giving yourself extra time to reach your destination.
  • Review your route ahead of time and see if there are alternate options to avoid construction. Visit the Nova Scotia Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR) Current Road Conditions webpage for details on construction, road closures and advisories across the province.
  • For additional information about major highway projects that are currently underway, will begin shortly or are in the active planning stage, see TIR’s Highway Construction Projects page.
  • Visit the Halifax Regional Municipality website https://www.halifax.ca/home/news for updated reports on road construction.

Drive safely in construction zones

  • Sometimes construction is unavoidable. In these situations it’s important to keep an eye on your speed. Fines increase in construction zones and can run up to $697.50 for a first offence.
  • It can be tempting to tailgate but doing so puts everyone at risk. If the car ahead of you brakes suddenly, you could force them into a construction worker.
  • It’s easy to forget that construction zones are workplaces. If you find yourself on the verge of road rage, consider how you’d feel if someone walked into your workplace and started gesturing obscenely or yelling in your face. Road rage can be scary and demoralizing for construction workers who are just doing their jobs.

RCMP will continue to monitor and enforce construction zone safety this summer. Please help protect everyone by planning your travel routes ahead of time and driving safely in construction zones.