Every spring, road workers throughout the Fort Dodge area move out to do battle with the potholes, cracks and other damage left behind by the constant freezing and thawing typical of a Midwest winter.

Chances are that over the years everyone has heard some version of the old wise crack that goes like this: In Iowa, we have two seasons — winter and road construction.

The annual chore of fixing all the potholes will be part of the road construction season. Plus there will be fresh coats of asphalt and concrete being placed on some streets. And there will be bigger construction projects. Already there is a traffic restriction in place at 170th Street and Nelson Avenue north of Fort Dodge as crews begin to change the intersection into a roundabout. And several miles south of there, in the city itself, the intersection of Second Avenue North and 15th Street will be rebuilt.

For those who will be snaking their vehicle through a maze of orange road cones and barricades, it may not seem like a good thing at that moment. But in fact, all the hassle means that projects, some of which are long overdue, are getting done to make future trips easier and better.

The unkind reality is that the only time any significant work can get done on city streets, highways and bridges is during the spring and summer months when everyone wants to be on the road.

In the midst of all these projects and detours, we have to keep one group of people in mind – the folks who are out there doing all the road work. The rest of us need to give them a brake. And yes, we mean brake, as in brake pedal.

Imagine yourself working with heavy machinery or doing hard physical labor all while vehicles are going past just feet away at what must seem like incredibly high speeds even when they are going the speed limit. They deserve to have a safe work environment, so slow down the next time you see them.

And if basic compassion for our road workers isn’t enough to get you to slow down, consider this: typically, fines for speeding are doubled in work zones. We’re betting that law enforcement officers will not hesitate to throw the book at anyone they catch zooming through a work zone.

We should all respect and protect the people working on our roads, highways and bridges. So just slow down when you see them out there, working to make your daily travel better and safer.