If you're a college student in Massachusetts and always dreamed of having your own billboard, here's your chance.

In honor of National Work Zone Awareness Week, MassDOT is hosting the opportunity for all Commonwealth college and university students to create a work-zone safety message that could be displayed on billboards across the state to support the American Traffic Safety Services Association.

The MassDOT is asking applicants to create a billboard design that will encourage drivers to obey and observe the rules of the road and be more cautious when traveling through active work and construction zones.

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“We hope this contest will raise awareness about steps drivers are required to take when they approach and travel through work zones on the highway,” Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca said in a news release. “Injuries and deaths on our roads are preventable if drivers obey traffic laws, including laws around moving over for road crews and traveling at lower speeds in work zones. We want everyone traveling and everyone working on our highways to get home safe at the end of the day and that means drivers must obey speeds for work zones, must drive sober, are hands-free and should wear seat belts at all times.”

The winning designs will be selected based on creativity, impact and relevance to this year’s identified theme.

The top three designs will be selected by a panel comprised of MassDOT senior managers and judged on their visual appeal, adherence to theme, quality of design and ease of reproduction. First-, second- and third-place designs will be displayed on a series of digital billboards along highways in Massachusetts through the 2023 construction season. First place gets a three-month billboard residency, second place gets two months and third place gets one month.

“Work zone safety awareness is an important message for MassDOT. Every year work zone safety crashes lead to unnecessary deaths on our roadways as well as traffic and project delays,” Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. “We are excited to see the creative content and informational PSAs which will be submitted to help us communicate work zone safety on Massachusetts’ roadways.”

Entries from college students for the MassDOT billboard contest must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Friday, April 21, and winners will be notified via email and announced on May 2nd and 3rd.

For information on MassDOT’s billboard design contest for National Work Zone Safety Week, including contest rules and requirements, eligibility, and submission guidelines, please visit: mass.gov/work-zone-billboard-contest-2023

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