GEDDES, N.Y. — Highway workers who were killed on the job are now honored with a new memorial at the New York State Fairgrounds in Geddes.

It’s located near the midway entrance and west of the Horticulture Building on the State Fairgrounds, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul said.  Hochul unveiled the memorial during a visit to the State Fair on Aug. 29.

The memorial honors all transportation workers killed while performing their job duties on or near New York’s thousands of miles of highways. Those transportation workers include employees of the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) and Thruway Authority, municipal highway workers, contractors, consultants, and towing-service employees. 

Hochul’s office cites data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that indicates from 2003 to 2017, 1,844 workers lost their lives at road construction sites across the U.S., averaging 123 per year.  The state DOT alone has lost 56 workers during its existence. 

“This memorial honors the hardworking New Yorkers who put their personal safety on the line to build our bridges, pave our roads and maintain our infrastructure so the rest of us can reach our destinations safely,” Hochul said. “This will serve as a lasting tribute to all those who lost their lives while performing their duties, and as a reminder that these dedicated workers are out there every day making our roads and bridges safer. We owe them all a debt of gratitude.” 

The new memorial includes a centerpiece featuring a bronze sculpture of shovels, hard hats, and boots on a platform surrounded by four bronze traffic cones and a dedication plaque. It features paved walkways and seating for respectful reflection.  Shrubs and trees have also been planted around the centerpiece and along the outside of the memorial.  

DOT works “year-round to enhance safety” for its workforce, Hochul’s office said. The department is using portable rumble strips that precede work zones and prevent distracted driving in every region of the state for maintenance and contractor project work zones to better protect flaggers and transportation workers. The state is implementing work-zone cameras in DOT maintenance work zones and contractor- project work zones across New York to better protect transportation workers.  

This year, the Thruway Authority is deploying more than a dozen new trucks throughout its four maintenance divisions across the state featuring “enhanced technology focused directly” on improving work-zone safety. 

The vehicles include large radar-board displays that alert motorists of the work zone speed limit compared to their approach speed, directional arrows, traffic attenuators, and wider reinforced man buckets with swing gates to allow for easier and safer deployment or removal of cones and barrels.