The Michigan Department of Transportation is planning to change its orange construction barrels to have brighter and more costly sheeting that department officials say will improve safety. Department officials tell the “Detroit Free Press” the cost will be minimal as the reflective sheeting on the barrels will be phased in.
Department officials say that between 2010 and 2014, 31 percent of all work zone crashes happened at dawn or dusk, or when it was raining. They say the sheeting will make it easier for drivers to see in such conditions. Frank Powelson, president and owner of Poco, a Canton company specializing in traffic controls, says he believes the switch will cost millions of dollars that could be better spent fixing the roads.
