Lights on Barrels in Construction Zones to be Suspended

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) alerted the League yesterday that they are going to suspend the usage of lights on construction barrels for the foreseeable future. Apparently, Michigan is one of about six states that use these lights.  There have been problems with new business start-ups trying to get into the industry, and MDOT has decided to make the playing field equal by suspending the usage of these lights.  They have already taken them out of two regions, and a study has shown that there was no negative effect.  Apparently, the barrels have high intensity sheathing, which renders the lights unnecessary. There are two letting periods coming up – August 6^th and August 20^th – and these lights won’t be part of those projects.  MDOT will do their best to get more information out to local elected officials and local road agencies. If you have further questions or complaints, you can contact:

Mark Van Port Fleet at 517 241-3998 or Brad Wieferich at 517 373-0030.