Highway maintenance workers maintain much more than the traffic arteries that crisscross the country; they keep up all sorts of other roads, too, including county roads, airport runways, and public rights-of-way. In their unending pursuit to keep America’s roads in good condition, highway maintenance workers repair guard rails, road markings, and snow fences, and also patch broken pavement and potholes. They mow ditches, clear litter and brush or undergrowth in the summer, and plow snow during the winter. Highway maintenance workers almost always work 40 hours a week and some may find the work conditions strenuous. The majority of the work day is spent outside, often in high or low temperatures, around contaminants and heavy machinery. Safety gear and protective clothing are worn much of the time. Most highway maintenance workers have a high school diploma or equivalent.
What they do:
Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.
On the job, you would:
Set out signs and cones around work areas to divert traffic.
Flag motorists to warn them of obstacles or repair work ahead.
Perform preventative maintenance on vehicles and heavy equipment.
Safety and Government
public safety and security
Arts and Humanities
English language
Transportation
movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road
Engineering and Technology
building and construction
Basic Skills
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Controlled Movement
quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down
Hand and Finger Use
keep your arm or hand steady
hold or move items with your hands
Endurance
exercise for a long time without getting out of breath
Attention
pay attention to something without being distracted
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
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