MassDOT Launches Second Billboard Design Contest for Massachusetts College Students

Special to the Journal

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing the launch of its second National Work Zone Awareness Week billboard design contest, exclusively for Massachusetts college students. The contest aims to raise awareness of work zone safety and encourage drivers to exercise caution when passing through active construction and maintenance projects. 

“We’re calling for all great ideas for our second annual National Work Zone Awareness Week billboard contest,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Creative designs and advertisement are a powerful way to reach residents and remind them how to keep our construction crews safe.”    

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual event that brings attention to work zone safety and education around preventing crashes and fatalities in these areas. The theme for NWZAW 2024 is “Work Zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel can last forever.” The main takeaway is while work zones may be temporary, the choices made by drivers in these areas can have far-reaching effects. Whether it’s excessive speed, distracted driving, or ignoring traffic laws, poor behaviors exhibited behind the wheel can lead to severe injuries, fatalities, and long-lasting trauma for individuals and families.  

MassDOT is taking an active role in promoting work zone safety to protect the men and women working out on the roadway and would like to invite all Massachusetts college students to create a billboard design that promotes the theme and encourages drivers to be cautious when driving through work zones. Massachusetts college students interested in participating should create a billboard design that includes the theme and promotes work zone safety.  Review the MassDOT Digital Billboard Design Specifications before preparing your submission.   

The contest is open to all students who are currently enrolled in Massachusetts colleges. The winning designs will be selected based on creativity, impact, and relevance to the NWZAW theme. The contest ends on April 19, and the winning designs will be announced on May 1 during the 2024 MassDOT Transportation Innovation Conference. The top 3 designs will be displayed on a series of digital billboards along the highways in Massachusetts throughout the 2024 construction season. The winning designs will be awarded a scholarship generously provided by the Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association (MAAPA). As staunch advocates for roadway safety, MAAPA recognizes the crucial importance of promoting work zone safety and is dedicated to increasing awareness about driving responsibly near work zones. 

• 1st place: $500 and 3-month billboard display (June, August, November) 

• 2nd place: $300 and 2-month billboard display (July, October) 

• 3rd place: $200 and 1-month billboard display (September)