Gov. Hochul unveils highway workers memorial

Syracuse, New York — On Sunday morning Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a memorial to honor fallen highway workers at the New York State Fair.

According to Hochul , the memorial, honors all transportation workers killed while performing their job duties on or near New York’s thousands of miles of highways, including State Department of Transportation and Thruway Authority employees, municipal highway workers, contractors, consultants and towing service employees.

“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,” Governor 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.”

From 2003-2017, 1,844 workers lost their lives at road construction sites across the U.S., according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The State Department of Transportation alone has lost 56 workers