It’s that time of year when we all get annoyed by the orange barrels and cones lining the streets and parking lots as commercial paving contractors perform repairs to paved surfaces. While those barrels and cones can seem to be an inconvenience, know this: They are there for safety reasons!

Many of us have seen commercial paving contractors working diligently to repair a parking lot or roadway while traffic buzzes by dangerously close and those annoying orange barrels or cones are the only thing between the hard working contractors and a steady flow of traffic. One wrong move could prove disastrous. Pay heed to the warnings and take extra care when driving in a construction zone, through roadwork or anytime both barrels and workers are present.

The physical safety of commercial paving contractors is indeed a primary function of those barrels and cones but your safety as a driver is also a consideration. Often roadway construction and parking lot resurfacing and repairs create uneven paved surfaces, potentially causing damage to your vehicle. How many times have you driven through a work zone and realized that the road dropped down dramatically just inches behind the barrels? As annoying as they can be, the barrels and cones are there for your safety also.

As spring turns to summer, asphalt and concrete work will increase as will the appearance of safety barriers, roadwork signs and delays in traffic. While all of this can certainly be an irritant, keep in mind that is not the intent. When it comes to the safety of asphalt and concrete workers and the public, commercial paving contractors take it very seriously and ask for patience as they work to repair our roadways and parking lots this paving season.