Press Release  MassDOT Work Zone Awareness Billboard Design Contest Winners

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is announcing the winning designs for its third annual National Work Zone Awareness Week billboard design contest, exclusively for Massachusetts college students. 

The students involved in creating the winning designs who attend Northeastern University, Middlesex Community College, and UMass Amherst will be awarded scholarships provided by the Massachusetts Aggregate and Asphalt Pavement Association (MAAPA) and the designs will be prominently featured on digital billboards along Massachusetts highways during the 2025 construction season.

“Our construction crews who build and maintain our roads perform a vital public service, and this billboard design contest is a powerful way to honor their work while reminding drivers to stay alert in work zones,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “Congratulations to the winning designers and thank you to everyone who contributed their creativity to help amplify the life-saving message of work zone safety.”

The theme for this year’s National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was, "Respect the zone so we all get home,” which emphasizes the shared responsibility of drivers to follow traffic laws, reduce speed, and stay alert in work zones to protect both themselves and the workers maintaining and improving our roads.

The 2025 contest winners are:

• 1st Place: Aayushi Patel, Northeastern University, class of 2026
• 2nd Place: Mary Cole, Middlesex Community College, class of 2026
• 3rd Place: Nico Anderberg, UMass Amherst, class of 2025

The contest sponsored by MassDOT invited entries from Massachusetts college students and winning designs were selected based on creativity, impact, and relevance to the NWZAW theme.

1st Place: Aayushi Patel, Northeastern University, class of 2026

2nd Place: Mary Cole, Middlesex Community College, class of 2026

3rd Place: Nico Anderberg, UMass Amherst, class of 2025

To learn more about National Work Zone Awareness Week by American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA): https://www.nwzaw.org/.  For more information on the contest:  https://www.mass.gov/work-zone-billboard-contest-2025 

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